


Three Beagles and a Kitty: Epilogues

by StanToppDogg



Series: Three Beagles and a Kitty [2]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Cat/Human Hybrids, Dog/Human Hybrids, Fluff, Humor, Hybrids, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-09-24 00:14:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 100,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9690683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StanToppDogg/pseuds/StanToppDogg
Summary: Adventures of Kris, his hybrids, (Chanyeol, Chen, Baekhyun, and Tao), and all of their friends. Between 4 humans and 8 hybrids, fluffy antics are sure to ensue





	1. Hybrids; Home for the Holidays

**Author's Note:**

> These are the stories following after the main events of my other story, Three Beagles and a Kitty. If you haven't read that story yet, I strongly recommened that you do, only becuase I'm going to bring up details that were first mentioned there.
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/9409262/chapters/21301112
> 
> These epilouges will not only focus on just Kris and his pets, but also the lives of his friends, so it'll be much more varied:) I hope everyone enjoys.
> 
> Also, to repeat what I mentioned in the first story: This is a hybrid au obviously. But I must warn, everyone that this isn't going to be one of those fics where there a lot of "fixed relatioships" (if that makes sense). Meaning that almost all of the characters are going to interact on equal grounds with each other.
> 
> There will be shippy moments between Kris and all of his hybrids, but the main overarching ship with him will be Krisyeol. This is the only "offical" pairing.
> 
> Aside from that, there will be moments between the hybrids on their own, which includes Baekchen (a lot of this), Baekyeol, Chenyeol, Chentao, etc, but none of them are in an offical relationship (minus Chanyeol who's with Kris). 
> 
> So if you don't like that kind of stuff and want "just Krisyeol" or "just Baekchen", then this story probably won't be enjoyable to you. Sorry :(
> 
> But for those who are interested, I hope you enjoy it :)
> 
> Just like with the main story, this is going to be mostly fluff, but there will be a little bit of angst.
> 
> Main characters: Kris, Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Chen, Tao
> 
> Side characters: Rest of EXO
> 
> This is a fictional story from my own imagination. Any similarities to other stories or real life events are purely conisidental.

The bright sun shining down on his face is what finally forced Kris’s eyes open. He blinked a few times before rubbing at his heavy eyes. It didn’t take long before the man took note of a huge amount of weight on his stomach. Kris hummed as he patted the silver beagle’s head, the boy still knocked out in a deep slumber.

“Morning Yeollie.” Kris cooed at the sleeping hybrid. He placed a quick kiss on the boy’s hair, careful as to not wake him. He gently sat up and moved as slowly as possible so as not to disturb the others either. After he’d covered Chanyeol back up, he quickly made his way around the bed to press gentle kisses onto his other hybrid’s heads. Kris grabbed a nearby pair of fuzzy slippers and quietly left out of the room.

The blond man entered the kitchen to begin preparing a nice Christmas breakfast for his puppies and kitty. As eggs fried in the pan Kris quickly remembered to check his Instagram for his friend’s posts. Turning down the fire, the man grabbed the phone that was sitting on the counter. He checked his pictures depicting his pets wearing their new collars first and foremost and saw the flood of comments from his friends.

LuBaozi799: Aw, they look so cute. Great color choice, Kris. –Xiumin. Yo yo, they’re so stylish. -Luhan

KaiSoo4u: Cool, they all have different little animal tags. Why is Chanyeol’s a giraffe? Because he’s so tall? Lol :)

XingXingandBubbleT: Lay and Sehun say that the collars look great. Nice present, hyung. Hi guys, this is Lay. Hiiiiiiii~

Kris chucked at his friends and their hybrid’s goofy comments. He went out to check each of their pages and see the new pictures they’d uploaded. Everyone knew what each other was getting, and that was because they’d all decided to get their pets collars. The main thing that they wanted to see was the surprised reactions of their dear pets. He decided to go with Suho’s crew first, though he quickly regretted it. The man had to have uploaded at least 30 pictures. Kris had double the amount of hybrids and hadn’t taken nearly as many.

The first 5 pictures were the boys holding their unopened boxes. Then there were about 10 of them showing when they’d finally seen the collars. The next bunch were of a teary Lay wiping at his eyes with Suho embracing the rabbit; obviously taken by Sehun. The last three pictures however were Kris’s favorite. One was of Sehun with his multicolored leather collar, the next was Lay (still crying, yet trying to force a smile) wearing his orange and green collar, and the last was a group shot of the three hugging.

“Nice Junmyeon.” Kris said to himself as he left a quick comment. He turned off the stove and set the eggs on a plate before moving on to the next account.

Fortunately, Xiumin keep it simple and only uploaded about five pictures. The first was of Luhan holding wrapped present. Then the next three showed him wearing it from 3 different angles. The last one was simply a close up view of the collar in Luhan’s hands. The accessory was quite simple, which made perfect sense considering both the owner and his hybrid. It was a solid tan color with a small deer shaped tag that had Luhan’s name written on it in Chinese. Kris chuckled as he left a comment stating that it was the nicest deer collar he’d ever seen.

Lastly were D.O. and Kai, a duo whose Instagram had very few pictures. And unsurprisingly, there were only 2 new photos which relayed the events of the previous night. Both of them were pretty similar; the first was of Kai wearing his new collar and had a message which said ‘Cute, right?’. The second picture showed the two boys together, Kai giving his owner a doggy kiss. The caption said, ‘Best owner, ever.” Kris liked the photo and left his own message before setting his phone back down. He was so lost in the pictures that he hadn’t heard someone else enter the room. A pair of arms wrapped around him, and some soft lips found his neck.

“Merry Christmas, hyung.” Kris turned around as he gave the shorter boy a kiss on his forehead.

“Good morning, Baek. Merry Christmas. Did you have a good sleep?”

“I could never have a bad sleep after getting this.” The boy curled his fingers around the collar on his neck.

“I’m glad you all like them.” Kris said as he began setting the table.

“You know, even with it wrapped on my neck here, it’s still unbelievable to think about.” The pup was smiling, but his tone almost seemed sad. Kris smiled, but could only hum in response. He really wanted to be able to say something comforting to his hybrid, but he didn’t really know what he could say. Baekhyun rarely talked about his life before he moved in with Kris, therefore the man only knew what Chanyeol had told him; and even then they certainly knew that Baekhyun definitely hadn’t told his friend everything that went on.

“You know…back at the store, the said…they said I’d never get one of these. That no one would ever think I was worthy of one.” The brunet stared at the ground as he spoke. A quiet whimper escaped his throat. Kris immediately grabbed the younger boy to face him.

“Baekhyun, don’t even think about anything those people said to you. They clearly couldn’t see how wonderful you were.” Kris said angrily. He knew that the people Baekhyun worked for were heartless jerks so it’s not surprising that they’d try to poison his mind with such comments. “You’re more deserving of a collar than they are deserving of anything they have.”

The blond was happy to hear that he’s prompted a small laugh from the short male.

“Thanks, hyung.”

Moments later, the other three animals bounded into the room. Chanyeol was carrying Chen on his back, with Tao giggling girlishly behind them. They all had Santa hats on their heads and the ebony cat was carrying the remaining two for the last beagle and their owner.

“Merry Christmas!” The beagles howled happily.

“Merry Christmas, ge.” Tao said, giving Kris a hug and putting the hat on his head. “And ugly dog, hyung.” Tao crushed the short dog in a hug. Baekhyun attempted to lick Tao’s arm to get him to release his grip, but the kitten only squeezed him tighter. The short dog eventually snatched the hat away to place on his head.

“Did you make breakfast, hyung?” Chanyeol asked, looking at the beautiful spread of food.

“Yep, another present for you guys today.”

“Uwaaa, I feel so spoiled.” Chen said, sliding off of Chanyeol’s back and properly onto the floor.

“And it’s only going to get better from here.” Kris sat down at the table and the hybrids did the same. Chanyeol pressed himself right next to Kris as usual and began cutting up his owner's food before moving to feed himself. “You guys are in charge for the rest of the day. Anything you want to do, we’ll do it.”

“Weally?” Chanyeol’s mouth was stuffed with toast, curtesy of Baekhyun, but the others heard what he said.

“Yeah. Whatever you want.” Kris said.

“I want to watch Christmas movies.” Tao mewed, bouncing a little in his seat.

“Nooooo, we should go out.” Chen barked.

“We can go out all the time.” Tao whined. “Christmas movies go away after today.”

“They’ll still be on.” Chen retorted.

“Alright alright, quiet down.” Kris said, his mouth full of food. Chanyeol gave Kris some coffee to help him wash down the food.

“But I don’t want to miss Christmas movies.” Tao pouted. The kitten almost appeared close to tearing up. Chen patted the younger boy’s leg. He understood. Tao was a cat; it was only natural for him to be stubborn and want to get his way. Even if it was something really minor. It didn’t help that he was also really sensitive and could get upset really easily. It made it extremely hard for the others to say no to him.

“We have all day guys. We can watch some Christmas specials, go out for a bit, and do lots of other stuff.” The tall man stated.

“Okay.” Tao said quietly.

“Now,” Kris began, looking to his silver pup who had jelly all over his face. “Chanyeol, what do you want to do?”

“Actually, was wanted to bake Christmas cookies.” The dog said quietly.

“Like gingerbread cookies?” Bakehyun asked, wiping the taller beagle's mouth.

“Oooohhhh, we could make a gingerbread house!” Tao exclaimed. “Please, please, can we?” the boy looked at every person in the room, trying to convince them all. The dogs shrugged.

“I’m fine with it.” Baekhyun said.

“Yeah, it’ll be more fun than just cookies.” Chanyeol added.

“What about you, Chen?” Kris asked.

“I guess it sounds nice.” The curly dog admitted.

“Alright, gingerbread house it is.” Kris said. “We can go out for a while after we finish it.” The other’s nodded, but Chen spoke up again.

“Nah, we can stay and watch the specials.” The puppy said.

“We can do both Chen.” Kris said with a small laugh. “We’ll have plenty of time.”

“No, Tao’s right. We can go out at any time. Today should be just for Christmas stuff.” Chen smiled affectionately at Tao, patting the younger cat’s thigh. Tao responded by grabbing his hyung in his arms and nuzzling against his face, quiet purrs reverberating in his throat.

“Thank you, Chen.” Kris smiled fondly at the curly dog. He was happy to see him sacrifice something he really wanted to do for his younger housemate. Then again, it’s not like this was rare. All of the beagles had gained a soft spot for Tao as soon as they saw him, and once he’d actually become comfortable with them, the dogs’ passion had increased ten-fold. They truly considered him a little brother and there was rarely a moment where the cat hybrid wasn’t seen with a beagle on his side. Baekhyun even had a habit of hanging out in the bathroom while the kitten showered. Though it always seemed like they did more talking than washing. And of course Kris would never forget the time when he went in his room one morning before work to kiss a sleepy cat and dog goodbye, only to see Chanyeol fully awake next to Tao reading a book.

“Just waiting until he wakes up, hyung.” 

It made Kris happy to know that his beagles loved caring for their kitty brother.

Even though Chen has his own stubborn streak, Kris was happy that the curly hybrid really was a sweet dog overall. The others smiled happily as well, thrilled to know that they were going to have a great day. Chanyeol fed Kris the rest of his breakfast while he and the other hybrids conversed; Chen still wrapped in Tao's arms. Their owner always tried to take part in their conversations, but with 3 extremely vocal beagles and an almost equally chatty cat, it was kind of hard to get any words in.

 

After breakfast, Chanyeol washed the dishes as usual while Kris got the gingerbread house ingredients ready. Tao stood at the edge of the table snaking on some cookies. Despite the fact that they’d only just finished breakfast, and a rather large one at that, the ebony kitten always claimed that he was hungry. Baekhyun sat in a tall stool next to him, his upper body flat on the table counter.

“Alright, we’ve got gingerbread mix, frosting, icing, candy…” the blond man set down each component as he spoke.

“Wait wait, gingerbread mix?” Baekhyun questioned. “Why don’t we just use pre-made graham crackers?”

“Nah man, we have to do this the old fashioned way.” Kris said, reading the instructions on the side of the box.

“Waaaaaaaeeeeeeee, this is gonna take foreveeeerrrrr.” The eldest dog whined.

“They’ll be done in no time once they’re in the oven.” Kris said. “Oh yeah, Chen, preheat the oven for me, will you?” Chen let out a high pitched bark as affirmation as he trotted to the machine.

“Shouldn’t you change your clothes before we do this?” Baekhyun asked. The question was aimed at Tao.

“How come?” he asked with full cheeks.

“You really want to get icing and dough and stuff all over that?” the dog gestured to the cat hybrid’s top. He was wearing one of his favorite purple blouses. It was thin and silky with a small flower under the collar. It was actually one of the less feminine pieces in his wardrobe. Anyone who didn’t know any better probably would have just thought it was a normal shirt. A woman’s shirt, but a shirt nonetheless. The dogs still thought it was weird that Tao liked such clothes, but regardless, didn’t want him to risk messing up his favorite items. They’d most likely become the subjects of his whining if that happened.

“I won’t get stuff on it.” The cat pouted, bits of cookie crumbs flying from his mouth.

“You’re already spitting crumbs everywhere.” The beagle countered. Next thing you know, you’ll spill milk or something all over yourself.”

“No I won’t.” The cat whined. Okay, maybe he was a bit clumsy, but he wasn’t incompetent. He’d never be so careless as to spill food on his clothes. At least not on his nice clothes.

“Maybe you should put an apron on, Taozi.” Their owner interrupted. “Just to be safe.” Tao meowed in protest, but a stern glare from Kris ended the argument. Tao grabbed the pink, frilly apron that was folded in one of the drawers and wrapped it around his body. Baekhyun playfully stuck his tongue out at the kitten. Happy that he’d won, and happier that he wouldn’t have to worry about Tao messing up his clothes.

“Dishes are done, Kris.” Chanyeol barked. He joined the others at the table, wrapping an arm around Tao. After setting the oven, Chen finalized the group by flopping down on Baekhyun’s back, eliciting a loud yip from the brunet.

“Alright, now let’s get started.”

 

The boys had split up to take on seperate jobs for completing the dessert. Just like Kris had said, the gingerbread mix finished baking quickly and had already cooled while the boys were cleaning up their work area. They were now preparing for putting the house together. The sound of Hotline Bling playing drew everyone’s attention. Kris picked up his phone and smiled as he saw the name on his screen.

“Merry Christmas, Suho.”

“Merry Christmas, hyung.” The man sang gleefully. “OMG, I saw your pictures on Instagram, they were the cutest things ever.”

“Thanks, Sehun and Lay looked nice as well.” Kris sat the phone on his shoulder and went back to stirring a large bowl of icing.

“Who’s on the phone?” Chen barked loudly. So loudly that Kris flinched. He put a finger to his lips, telling the dog to keep his voice down (something the beagles rarely did).

“So, what are you and the kiddies doing for Christmas?” Suho continued.

“We’re making a gingerbread house.” Kris chuckled. It wasn’t something he’d normally do for fun, so he knew it probably sounded weird to Suho.

“Aw, that’s so nice. I bet it was the beagles that wanted to, right?”

“Actually it was Tao’s idea.”

“Yeah, me.” Tao mewled, though he had no idea what Kris was talking about on the phone.

“Who is it?” Chanyeol asked this time.

“Hey, watch it!” Baekhyun growled. He and the silver dog were cutting the hardened gingerbread into small graham crackers and Chanyeol had nearly messed up the angle when he was calling to Kris.

“Hush.” Kris said. Chen went over his owner and held up the phone to Kris’s ear so it wouldn’t accidentally slip off. He also wanted to hear who was on the phone.

“Of course. All that boy thinks about is food.” Suho laughed.

“Ain’t that that truth.”

“Well, you guys enjoy your day. I need to get Sehun and Lay ready to go out to Santa at the mall.”

“I’m already ready.” Kris heard a meow over the phone. “As soon as Lay stops tying my shoes over and over.”

“Who’s on the phone? Tell them I said hi~.” The bunny sang.

“They’re adults, dude.” Kris deadpanned.

“Is that Suho hyung?” Chen asked. “Hi hyung!”

“Hello Suho, hyung!” the other hybrids yelled.

“Will you guys cut it out?” Kris sighed.

“Yeah, but Lay wanted Sehun to have a picture with Santa. He said it would be cute.” Suho said. “Bye bye, hyung.”

“See you, Myeon.”

“Bye bye!” the hybrids said in unison. Chen put the phone back down and went over to one of the cabinets. He grabbed two plates and set them on the table.

“The candy can go on this one and the crackers on the other one.” The curly beagle said as he poured two bags of gumdrops onto one plate.

“Sprinkles?” Tao meowed, tilting his head.

“Those go on at the end.” Baekhyun said.

“I don’t remember gingerbread houses having sprinkles?” Kris said finished stirring the icing.

“Sure they do, hyung.” Chanyeol wagged his tail quickly as he spoke. “They can have anything you want on them.”

“Whatever.” The blond man glanced around at everyone’s progress. “Are we ready to start building?”

“Yeah, yeah!” Tao clapped his hands and swished his fluffy tail playfully. And as usual, Baekhyun tried to bite at it.

“Kay. Baekhyun, you hold the crackers up and I’ll add the icing. Then Chen Chen can put the candy on the edges to make sure it stands up.” Kris’s hybrids saluted him as he gave out the orders.

“What about me, ge? I want to help.” Tao whined.

“You can put on the sprinkles at the end.” Chanyeol said. He opened his arms wide as an encouragement for the kitten to sit with him while they waited.

“But I want to help now.”

“You’ll get your turn Taozi, but sit down for now.” Kris’s voice was calm, yet firm. Tao did as his owner said, though there was a firm pout on his face. He pushed himself on the back of the stool Chanyeol was sitting on, thus putting Chanyeol on the edge. The silver beagle didn’t mind though. To pass the time, Tao playfully mouthed at Chanyeol’s face in an attempt to entertain himself. The dog hybrid played right back, avoiding the kitten’s teeth, trying to get the first ‘bite’ in himself.

The game actually succeeded in making Tao forget about how upset he was. In no time, the four walls of the gingerbread house were standing on their own. The 3 men stood back and admired their work and Kris gave his beagles pats on the head as praise. Chen, who was back hugging Baekhyun, gave the brunet a big sloppy doggy kiss. Mainly because he knew it annoyed him.

“Alright, Yeollie, wanna put the roof on?” Kris asked.

“Taozi can do it.” The silver dog offered, knowing Tao was still eager to help.

“No, I wanna make the windows.” The black cat meowed.

“You said you wanted to help build it.” Baekhyun teased.

“If you want to do windows, you need to fill some bags with icing.” Kris instructed.

“I can do it!” Tao mewled, jumping up from his place to grab some empty bags.

“Help him out guys.” The blond said to the short beagles.

“I can do it myself, ge.” Tao pulled out a handful of bags, some falling onto the floor.

“Yah, you’re making a mess right now.” Chen said.

“Pick these bags up.” Baekhyun barked.

“I got it!” Tao got and scattered the bags all over the countertop, completely ignoring the ones on the floor.

“Aish, so much bickering. Yeollie, wanna get the roof?” Kris asked.

“Sure thing.” The silver dog barked. He happily nuzzled into his owner’s face before picking up the crackers. 

“Yah, Tao be careful!” Baekhyun grabbed the cat hybrid’s arms, trying to help him put the icing in the bags.

“I can do it. You’re gonna make me mess up.”

After about five minutes of finishing the roof and getting a bag filled with icing, the gingerbread house was finally ready for the decorations to be added. Tao of course made the windows and actually did a pretty good job of it. He didn’t make a mess at all and the icing was impressionably neat. Chanyeol and Baekhyun added candy to the roof top and made a gumdrop gate around the house itself. Kris and Chen used some colorful frostings to decorate the front and sides of the house. With so many people, the gingerbread confection was finished in no time.

“Wow, it actually looks really good.” Kris stood with his hands on his hips as he admired the creation in front of him. He might have been a bit biased, but the man truly though the gingerbread house looked professionally made.

“It’s so pretty.” Tao said as he snapped about 20 or so pictures with his phone.

“It looks delicious.” Chanyeol’s mouth watered as he spoke.

“Yummy.” Tao added, hunger evident in his eyes.

“You guys want to eat it now?” Kris wasn’t usually one of those people who admired food, but he thought they did pretty well with their little gingerbread house. He thought they’d like to at least display it for a bit longer.

“Why don’t we watch the Christmas specials now?” Chen suggested, taking off Tao’s apron.

“Ooooh yes! The Christmas specials!” Tao mewed happily. The hybrids didn’t even wait for a response from their owner before dashing to the living room. Chen only shoved the apron at Kris before bouncing along with the others. Kris chuckled at their eagerness. He knew they’d want snacks at some point so he grabbed a couple of bags of premade popcorn, some candy, and some Christmas cookies that D.O. had baked and given out to all of his friends. He also brought along Baekhyun’s Christmas bacon treats just in case the beagles wanted some doggy treats. Tao was typically fine with human food and usually seemed to prefer it cat foods, so Kris didn’t fret about not getting any special treats for him.

As Kris expected, he entered the living room and was met with a completely crowded couch. Chanyeol lay back against one of the armrests while Chen and Baekhyun used him as a pillow. Tao sat on the other side of the sofa, eagerly awaiting their owner.

“Geez, you guys didn’t even get any snacks.” Kris said. “I guess you don’t want any.” The beagles’ eyes went wide at the realization of not bringing any snacks. They made grabby hands towards the blond man, their lips cutely poked out. Chanyeol even gave one of his best puppy whimpers. Tao’s girlish giggle fluttered through the room. He always found it funny when the beagles begged.

“Pft, you guys know aegyo doesn’t work on me.” The hybrids scoffed and Kris couldn’t help but laugh. They all were well aware how weak the man was to even the slightest cute antics from his fluffy pets. As such, he happily passed a bunch of snacks down to the other side of the couch. Tao meanwhile snuggled next to his owner and shoved a handful of candy in his mouth.

“I like kandy.” The kitten mewed.

“Don’t eat too much of it. You’re going to have a lot more sugar from the gingerbread house later.” Kris instructed. Tao nodded, nuzzling his head against the older man.

“Okay ge ge.”

About halfway through the movie, Kris’s ringtone sounded from the kitchen. It actually came as a surprise to the blond man as he was sure he’d put it in his pocket before leaving the room.

“Waeee, I can’t hear the movie.” Chen whined.

“I’m going, I’m going.” The blond man sighed, not wanting to get up from his comfy spot. Tao, likewise, wasn’t happy to lose his comfortable pillow ge. The ebony hybrid thus snuggled up to the beagles until Kris returned.

“Yellow?” Was Kris’s greeting upon answering the phone.

“Is that how you greet your hyung on Christmas?” Xiumin’s cheeky voice replied.

“Ha ha, Merry Christmas, hyung.”

“Merry Christmas, Kris. How are the babies?”

“They’re great. They’re in the living room watching a movie right now.” Kris glanced in the living room at his pets on the couch. They looked so adorable together. Tao was wrapped around Chen, who was wrapped around Baekhyun; all of which were still on top of Chanyeol. Kris was happy to have such wonderful hybrids.

“Sounds like your Christmas is going the same as ours.” The Korean man laughed. He was currently snuggled on his couch, his deer hybrid lying across his lap. “Lulu, Kris is on the phone. Say, ‘hi’.”

“Yo, hey Kris~” Luhan sang. He sounded half asleep.

“Heh, hey Lu." Kris chuckled. He waitied for Xiumin to put the phone back to his ear. "You're right Xiu, it’s nice to be able to just relax together.”

“It is. Well, you go enjoy yourself. Just wanted to wish you a Merry Chirtmas.” Xiumin said softly.

“Thanks hyung. Merry Christmas.” Kris waited for Xiumin to hang up before returning to the living room. And this time he remembered to put his phone in his pocket.

“Who was at the phone, ge ge?” Tao asked. He removed his body off of Chen and resumed his position on Kris’s chest.

“On the phone.” Baekhyun corrected. Tao still had a few struggles with his Korean at times, and the beagles were still just as quick to help him.

“Xiumin.” Kris answered.

“What did he say?” Chanyeol asked.

“He was just wishing us a Merry Christmas.” Kris said.

“Oh, Merry Christmas.” Tao meowed happily. The others chuckled, knowing that their hyung obviously couldn’t hear Tao since he was no longer on the phone.

“Hyungie, can we go outside and see the Christmas lights later?” Chanyeol asked.

“You mean the lights on everyone’s houses?” Kris asked, just to be sure.

“Yeah, and the ones hanging on the street poles and stuff.” The silver puppy said excitedly. "They're pretty."

“Sure thing.” The tall blond replied. He knew that the hybrids were locked in the house nearly all day and prorbably hadn't had much of a change to enjoy the Chrsitmas decorations outside. “We’ll go after this movie. It should be dark enough then.”

“Thanks Kris.”

“And then when we come back, can we eat the gingerbread house?” Baekhyun asked, oddly enough as he was munching on some popcorn.

“I guess so.” Their owner replied. Tao was the one who clapped at that answer. Then again, anything relating to food made him happy.

 

At about 7 pm, Kris and the hybrids put on their winter wear to go out to see the lights. They wouldn’t be going far, just around the neighborhood, nor would they be out for long, but Kris wanted to make the most of the time and make sure his hybrids enjoyed themselves. Kris even allowed Baekhyun to bring his new squeaky toy along with them. And Tao wore his new blue scarf from D.O. All that was left now was their headwear. Tao and Baekhyun grabbed some beanies to put on, while Chen and Chanyeol chose to wear trapper hats, loving the fluffy warmth they gave. And Kris, ever the fashionista, wore a stylish designer men’s hat.

“Ready to go, boys?” Kris asked. They hybrids nodded enthusiastically, whining and scratching at the door. “Heh, I’ll take that as a yes.”

Kris and Chanyeol walked hand in hand as usual. The silver pup would have loved to be bounding from house to house, flailing in piles of snow like the others, but he enjoyed being with his precious owner even more. Watching the others have fun was just as nice for him.

“The lights look so beautiful hyung.” The dog leaned his head onto his owner’s shoulder. It made walking slightly difficult, but neither minded.

“Almost as beautiful as you.” The blond man replied, brushing his fingers through his hybrid’s hair. Chanyeol wanted to respond, but he was too distracted by the feeling of his face heating up. Instead, the dog buried his face into the man’s neck. Kris giggled and was about to say something else before a felt a small cold burst of ice smack him in the face. He looked over to see Chen in a full play bow bouncing in a large pile of snow. Kris was slightly annoyed that he’d gotten snow on his nice coat, but Chanyeol was just glad that his face was cooling off.

“Bwah ha ha ha ha!” Came Chen’s boisterous laughter. “Got you hyung!” the curly pup barked. The dog’s joy was soon ended however. Out of nowhere another snowball hit Chen, causing the hybrid to tumble down the snow pile and roll to the bottom. Beakhyun and Tao were behind some bushes sprawled unto their backs as they laughed at Chen’s misfortune.

“Aren’t they cute?” Kris whispered to Chanyeol.

“Not as cute as you.”Chanyeol poked his fingers in Kris’s cheeks as he spoke. Kris had to laugh. Not only was Chanyeol using the line the blond had just used a few minutes prior, but it wasn’t even fitting. Kris could describe himself in a lot of words, but ‘cute’ sure wasn’t one of them.

“Oh stop that.” Kris said, playfully smacking the dog.

“But it’s true. You are cute hyung.” The hybrid insisted. “Okay, maybe the others are cuter, but you’re still adorable in your own way.”

“Hm, if you say saaaah.” Kris’s sentence was interrupted by another snowball smacking him in the back of the head. The tall man expected to see Chen or Baekhyun when he turned around, but was instead met with a short owl and a blond puppy.

“Soo?” the human’s voice was clearly in shock.

“Sorry hyung, I couldn’t resist.” The man laughed. The puppy ran over to Kris and began vigorously licking the snow off of his face.

“Okay, okay Kai. It’s off now.” Kris laughed, ruffling the dog’s ears.

“Merry Krismas.” Kai burst out laughing. “Get it? Krismas.” Kris facepalmed. He didn’t know why his friends had such a lame sense of humor. Even more than that, he never understood why Kai tended to laugh at his own jokes.

“Jongie!” Six arms enveloped the pup in a massive hug. Baekhyun released him first to give D.O. a friendly doggy greeting as well.

“I guess you all are having fun.” D.O. said, gently pushing Baekhyun off of him.

“As much fun as you can have looking at Christmas lights.”

“What are you doing, hyung?” Tao asked.

“I guess we’re doing the same thing.” D.O. laughed. “I was just taking Kai for a walk and it turned into a tour of the town. We’ve been out for a few hours.”

“We cooked, hyung! We made a gingerbread house!” Tao mewled happily.

“Really? Was it good?”

“We haven’t eaten it yet.” Kris admitted.

“But we’re going to as soon as we get home.” Baekhyun barked. He took the squeaky toy out of his jacket pocket and started chewing on it, drool quickly making its way down his face.

“Hey, it's the toy we bought you!” Kai barked happily, his tail wagging ferociously. “And Taozi, you’re wearing our scarf!”

“It’s cute, right? Ooooh, take a secla with me!” the black cat didn’t even wait for a response from the pup before whipping out his cell and yanking him over for a picture. He took about ten photos of just the two of them together, and then of course he had to take more to include his beagles and the humans. Especially since Baekhyun also had his gift with him.

“Well we all better get a move on before it gets dark.” Technically, it was already dark out, but Kris and the others knew what Kai meant. They all wanted to get back before it was too late. It may have been Christmas, but that didn't mean they were still wary of being out at night.

“Alright, see you later.” Kris said with a wave. The hybrids barked and mewed as they bid the 2 boys farewell. Their group of 5 continued down the block as they gazed at all of the wonderfully decorated houses. The hybrids were quite immersed in the sites. They particularly loved the lights that blinked on and off in a specific sequence or to create a certain image. Chen and Tao also enjoyed seeing all of the inflatable characters they passed by. Baekhyun was just happy to play in the snow. And Chanyeol? Of course all he needed was time with his amazing owner. Even if it wasn’t just the two of them, he was happy just being able to hold his hand and catch his lips in a kiss every now and then. 

“I’m hungry.” Tao said to Baekyun after a while.

“Just give hyung and Chanyeol a bit more time, kitty.” The brunet said, looking at his friend and owner. “They’re having fun.” The twin towers we a bit further behind the other three hybrids. They were currently looking at a light up Santa and reindeer front yard decoration and seemed to be having a delightful conversation, if the laughter was any indication. Baekhyun just couldn’t bear to interrupt them.

“Okay, beef hyung.” Tao sounded disappointed, but deep down inside he did want the boys to have as much time together enjoying their Christmas activity. And the kitten soon found himself distracted from his hunger by another snowball fight with Chen.

 

The group stayed out for about 20 more minutes before hunger finally caught up with the others and Kris decided to return home. Once the front door opened, all hybrids dashed to the bathroom, already knowing that Kris would tell them to wash up before touching any food. Since Kris stayed out of the snowball fights, he deemed himself clean enough to handle the gingerbread house while the others were washing their hands. After taking of his jacket, he made his way into the kitchen.

“Alright, so how are we gonna do this?” Kris asked himself. He went through a bunch of ideas in his head of how to even divide the snack before he eventually decided to just grab a piece of roof to munch on and leave the rest to the boys. He wasn’t that much of a sweets person anyway. He only just managed to neatly break off his serving and take a bite out of it before his pets came back downstairs. Unfortunately for the tall blond, his hybrids decided to just eat the gingerbread house as a whole without even taking of pieces for themselves. As such, they ended up making quite a mess.

“We have plates you know.” The man said sarcastically. Baekhyun shushed him by shoving a large piece of the treat in the man’s mouth. 

“This is so good.” Tao meowed, his fluffy tail swishing happily. Chanyeol stroked the kitty on the head as he ate, eliciting quiet purrs from the boy.

“What are gonna do after this?” Chen asked with a full mouth.

“Shower probably.” Kris shrugged. “It’s getting pretty late.”

“But I wanted to watch more Christmas specials.” The cat pouted.

“Shower first, then you can watch until bedtime.” Kris replied as he took a bite of food from Chanyeol’s hand. Tao nodded happily.

Within minutes the gingerbread confection was gone. Sometimes, Kris was happy to have such greedy hybrids and this was certainly one of those times. While Chanyeol and Baekhyun helped Kris to clean up, Tao and Chen made their way to the bathroom. The ebony cat hated to shower by himself so he always requested that at least one other hybrid accompany him. Even if they didn’t actually shower together, he liked having someone with him to have conversations. He also had a slight fear that ghosts lurked in the bathroom at night and felt that they’d be safer as a pair.

“Taozi, Chen Chen, hurry up in there!” Chanyeol barked. He and Baekhyun were currently in bed snuggled in their owner’s warmth, watching yet another Christmas special. Kris rarely ever used the TV in his room. Usually he’d prefer to just watch his shows on the large flat screen downstairs and return to his room for bed. But he felt rather tired after the long day they had and would rather fall asleep in his bed than on the couch.

“The movie will be over by the time they get out.” Baekhyun muttered sleepily, hugging Kris’s arm.

“I just want to shower.” Kris mumbled. He was using Chanyeol’s chest as a pillow for a change as opposed to the silver puppy lying atop him. To the tall man’s relief, the sound of the bathroom door opening was finally heard. Tao and Chen entered the room in their fluffy pajamas, the latter diving onto the bed.

“Aigoo, you all missed me, right?” Chen whined.

“Why does it always take you guys forever to bathe?” Kris asked as he and Chanyeol moved over towards the center of the bed to make room for Tao to lie down.

“Ask him.” Chen said, pointing at Tao.

“I didn’t do anything.” Tao pouted, snuggling closer to Chanyeol.

“He’s always talking about random stuff and taking forever. And then he doesn’t even let me wash myself. He just takes the towel and does it himself.” Chen responded.

“He does that for all of us.” Chanyeol chuckled, brushing a finger through Tao’s hair.

“I just want to help you get clean.” Tao purred. "Cats are better at giving baths than doggies."

“But it seems like these two always take the longest.” Kris mumbled, looking at the felines. “Ugh, I’m too tired to shower now.”

“Good, stay here.” Baekhyun pulled his owner’s arm closer to him.

“We can shower in the morning, hyung.” Chanyeol said, pressing a kiss to Kris’s forehead.

“Luckily I don’t go back to work until next week.” The blond man said. He gave each of his hybrids a kiss, Chanyeol’s being on the lips, and lowered the volume on the TV. “Goodnight guys.”

“Nite Kris.” The hybrids responded. “Saranghaeyo.”

“I love you, too.”

 


	2. Sick as a Dog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone. I'm so sorry it's taken this long to update, but I'm back at college and working like crazy:( I hope some fluffy Krisyeol can make up for the wait. And I'll try to put up the next chapter soon.

“I hate to do this to you guys, but I don’t want you to get sick too.” Kris said walking to the door.

“It’s okay hyung, we’ll be fine.” Baekhyun said.

“I just hope Chanyeol will be okay.” Chen added, strapping his handbag closed.

“He should be fine if he gets a good rest.” Kris said.

The silver beagle hybrid had been acting strange the previous day, acting much less active and talkative. He also had very little appetite. Kris thought he might be coming down with something, but Chanyeol assured that he was fine. But when the dog woke up with a stuffy nose, runny eyes, and a horrible cough, he knew there was no way he could play off that he was in good condition.

Immediately, Kris sent the other hybrids downstairs, not wanting them to be around him while he was ill. He knew they’d be worried about him, but he really didn’t need more sick hybrids. While giving Chanyeol some medicine, he called up Suho and explained the situation and asked the man if his other 3 pets could stay over for a while.

“It should only be for about 2 days, Myeon.” Kris insisted over the phone.

“Nonsense, hyung~” The short man sang. “They can stay over for as long as they need to. We wouldn’t want to risk them getting sick.”

“I just hate to feel like I’m intruding.”

“Intruding? Hyung, you know my doors are always open to you and all of our friends. Chanyeol’s health is the only thing that matters right now.”

“Thank you, Suho. I’ll drop them off in a few minutes.”

“No way! You can’t leave Chanyeol alone and he’s sick. Even if it is just a cold, he might need something. I’ll come pick them up right now.” The man spoke so fast that Kris barely had time to register what he’d said.

“Are you sure, Myeon? I can drop them off, it’ll only be a few…”

“Nope nope nope, I’m coming over right now.” The man interrupted. “Lay, Sehun, c’mon!” Was all Kris heard before the call was ended. He sighed happily to himself.

“That guy may be short, but he’s got the biggest heart on the planet.”

 

As promised, Suho pulled up within a few minutes of the phone call. Chen and Baekhyun were barking like crazy when they heard his minivan stopping outside.

“He’s here! He’s here!” Baekhyun howled. He reached for the doorknob, but was stopped by his owner.

“Now I want all of you to behave yourselves.” He said sternly. “No loud barking or bothering Suho while he’s working. And please give Sehun his space.” Kris knew his pets were well behaved, but he still worried when they visited other people’s houses.

“Of course we will, ge.” Tao mewled. “Can we go now?” Kris knew that Tao was excited to spend a lot of time with Sehun. He was the only cat hybrid owned by one of Kris’s friends, and thus the only cat he could hang out with. Sure Chen was half cat, and Tao of course loved playing kitty games with his hyung from time to time, but being around another full cat hybrid was always enjoyable to him.

“Yes, you can go.” Kris said. He quickly gave each boy a kiss on the head before he opened the door. Suho had the back door already opened and Lay was waving to Kris and the others. The three hybrids dashed down the front yard and hopped into the van. Kris could see that they were greeting the other hybrids with licking.

“Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Kris hyung! I hope Yeollie gets well soon!” the bunny shouted.

“Don’t worry about anything Kris!” Suho yelled. “We’ll all be fine!” And with that, the man closed the back door and drove away. Kris nodded happily and went back into his house.

 

Chanyeol was currently cocooned in blankets in Kris’s bed. He felt like he was freezing and just wanted more warmth. He wanted even more blankets. His eyes and head felt heavy, but he sat up in his attempt to get more of the fluffy covers. Slowly, he threw his legs over the bed and managed to stand up. Unfortunately, his legs decided to go against him as he dropped to the ground, the loud thump echoing throughout the room. It was also at that moment that Kris made his way into the room.

“Chanyeol!” Kris was at his puppy’s side in an instant. He pulled the boy into his arms and sat him back down on the bed.

“Hyung…” the pup moaned.

“Chanyeol, I told you not to move.” Kris said worriedly. At that moment, he was glad that he let Suho come over to pick up the other boys. He would have lost it if Chanyeol fell down and hurt himself when he wasn’t home.

“Cold…cold…” the dog whined, reaching for Kris through the blankets. Kris felt the silver dog’s forehead and was met with a burst of warmth.

“Cold? You’re burning up.”

“Cold…hyung…” Chanyeol pouted as he looked at his owner. It almost looked like he was nearing tears. And that was one sight Kris couldn’t take.

“Okay, puppy. Give me a second.” Kris went to his closet and grabbed a blanket for Chanyeol. He made sure it was a thin one so the boy wouldn’t get too overheated. The tall man wrapped the blanket around Chanyeol’s body and gently hoisted the hybrid into his arms.

“Hyung?” the dog’s voice was notably scratchy.

“We’re going to the guest room. I need to keep this room free of germs for when the others come back.”

“Sorry, hyung.” The puppy moaned sadly.

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. I just need to make sure everyone stays healthy.” He made his way to the guest room and sat the dog down on the clean bed. Once the pup appeared to be comfortable, Kris started smoothing his hair. “What do you want for breakfast, pup?”

“Ugnh…not hungry.” Chanyeol whined. He had absolutely no shred of an appetite. It was quite an odd feeling for him.

“You really should eat something. I know you don’t feel hungry, but your body still needs nourishment.” Kris explained. Chanyeol didn’t respond. Instead he buried himself further under the blankets, probably feeling tired. Kris sighed. He hated seeing his usually happy hybrid so weak and somber. Regardless, he still wanted Chanyeol to eat something. He figured he would just bring him some simple dry toast. Something that would be easy on his stomach. He fluffed Chanyeol’s pillows to make sure that the hybrid was comfortable and pulled down the blankets to his chest so that he could breathe. The man then started out of the room.

“Stay…” Chanyeol moaned weakly, reaching out to his owner.

“I’m just going to go wash the bedsheets.” The blond said, stroking Chanyeol’s forehead. “I’ll be back in a flash.” Chanyeol simply whined in response and Kris quickly moved to his bedroom to get everything done as soon as possible.

Kris put some toast in the toaster before he loaded the washer, still wanting Chanyeol to have some food. He made sure that he washed all of the covers and sheets from the bed to make sure that there would be nothing contaminated for when the others came back. Afterwards he put the toast on a napkin and made his way back upstairs.

“Kris…” Chanyeol’s voice was still scratchy, but Kris could tell that the dog was bit upset.

“Are you okay, babe? Do you need something?” Kris cupped the boy’s face as he spoke. Chanyeol stared at his owner for a few seconds before averting his eyes.

“I…I just…wanted you to come back in here.” The dog said shyly. Kris didn’t know if the hybrid was blushing out of embarrassment, his cold, or possibly both.

“I’m here, Yeol. I’m not going to leave out for a while.” He said. He moved to brush Chanyeol’s ear with a hand, but the dog stopped him.

“Don’t touch me, hyung. You’ll get sick.” The silver hybrid said.

“I won’t. Hybrids can’t pass their illnesses onto humans.” Kris laughed softly, resuming his ear petting.

“Are you sure? Humans can catch colds too.” The hybrid coughed as he spoke.

“Even if it’s just a cold, I won’t catch it.”

“Okay.” With that information known, Chanyeol grabbed Kris’s shoulders and tried to gently pull him unto the bed. Kris chuckled and lay down next to his pup on the bed. The beagle immediately snuggled into his owner’s side, using the man’s shoulder as a pillow.

“I brought you some toast.” Kris whispered, rubbing Chanyeol’s cheek. The hybrid pouted. He still didn’t feel like eating. Still, he knew Kris would feel better if he ate, plus it’s not like he felt nauseous or anything. Reluctantly, Chanyeol opened his mouth for Kris to feed him. Kris went at Chanyeol’s pace. He broke the toast into small pieces to feed to the puppy and patted his head as he chewed. It took about 10 minutes, but he eventually finished. They sat in silence (minus a few sniffles from the puppy every now and then) for a few minutes before Chanyeol spoke up.

“Baekkie, Chen...Taozi…where?” the dog moaned quietly.

“Oh yeah, I guess you didn’t hear earlier, but they went to Suho’s house. They’re going to stay there until you’re well tomorrow.” Kris explained. He obviously had no guarantees that Chanyeol would be being better the next day, but he hoped that enough medicine would make him feel well enough that the others could return home.

“I miss them.” The dog said, tears forming in his eyes.

“I know, baby. But we couldn’t let them get sick.” He pressed a kiss to the puppy’s lips. Chanyeol began whining and buried his face in Kris’s shirt, shaking slightly. He was crying. The blond man gently rubbed his puppy’s back. The hybrids spent literally all their time together and now they were being separated for who knows how many days. It wasn’t a surprise that Chanyeol was this upset. Kris expected it. He was only glad that Baekhyun and the others were with close friends and hopefully wouldn’t be as sad about not being home.

“Shhhh, shhhh…it’s okay.” Kris cooed. “The boys are fine and you’ll see them soon.”

“Hyung…” Chaneyol whined before crying again. Kris’s heart broke. He hated when his hybrids were upset and there was nothing he could do to make them happy.

“Maybe I’ll let you call them later. Would you like that, pup?” The silver beagle nodded as he sniffed some more. Kris kept Chanyeol cradled in his arms and began silently humming to him. At that moment he really wished that the others were there. Chen and Baekhyun were pretty good singers and could easily sing someone to sleep. Heck, even Tao had a really nice singing voice, though the cat, like Kris tended to prefer rapping. It’s not like Kris didn’t like to sing. He actually wished that he sang as well his short beagles. But he just found that rapping was easier for him, so rarely worked on his singing skills. Now it got to the point that he tried to avoid it due to the fear that he’d sound horrible.

“Sing hyung?” the hybrid looked up at his owner with hopeful eyes.

“You know I’m not a good singer, Yeol.” The man sighed sadly.

“You’re voice is pretty hyung. Please sing…” the boy’s voice came out as a slight whimper. If this was any other time where Chanyeol was perfectly healthy, Kris would have said no in a heartbeat. But his puppy was sick and already sad because his hybrid friends were gone. The least Kris could do was sing to the boy like he wanted.

And so he sang. He sang some Korean songs, some Chinese songs, anything that popped into his head. He didn’t care much for the way he sounded. But if Chanyeol enjoyed it, he’d sing all day long. But just for this one day.

Chanyeol fell asleep after about 30 minutes. Kris decided that now would be a great time to put the bedsheets and pillow cases in the dryer. He eased Chanyeol off of him as gently as possible and headed to the washroom. After moving the clothes, he was shocked when he looked at the clock. It was already 1:30. He hadn’t even noticed how long he’d been upstairs. He decided that it was also be a good time to give the dog hybrid another dose of medicine. Luckily Chanyeol hadn’t been coughing as much, so it seemed he was getting better. Most hybrids did tend to recover from illness a bit quicker than humans, but there were instances of hybrids getting extremely sick from some common ailments. Dog hybrids like Chanyeol seemed to have better immune systems than that of most hybrids, so Kris was happy for that.

Kris returned to the room with a fresh serving of medicine. Chanyeol, like most doggies, tended to take his medicine as a pill coated in peanut butter. He was fine taking liquid medicine if he absolutely had to, but he preferred to make it as tasty as possible. Kris put the clump of peanut butter to his pup’s mouth. Even though he was asleep, he knew that food was near. He sniffed the air, locating the scent of the peanut butter and lapped it up with his tongue in an instant.

“Good boy.” Kris whispered as he snuggled back in the bed with him. He pulled Chanyeol onto his typical spot, right on top of his stomach, and began rubbing his back.

“Hyung?” the boy’s voice was still a little scratchy.

“What is it, Chanyeol?” Kris asked.

“Tao…call…”

“Tao? You wanna talk to the others now?” Kris asked to be certain.

“Call. He might…miss you.” The puppy said weakly.

Such a good dog; always worrying about the others. Even when he’s sick.

“You’re so sweet Cànliè.” Kris picked up his phone and dialed Baekhyun, just in case Tao was napping or something. He wouldn’t want to startle him if his phone’s volume was high. It rang for a while, but unfortunately there was no answer. Kris was surprised by the lack of response, but figured that the brunet was simply in a room away from his phone. The silver beagle whined when he didn’t hear a response.

“Sorry bud, he didn’t answer.”

“Are they okay?” Chanyeol asked in between coughs.

“They’re fine. His phone is probably just in a different room.”

“Try again, hyung?” the hybrid’s voice was almost a whisper.

“Hm, let me call Suho.” Kris dialed his friend’s number, knowing that the man was never without his phone. And as expected, he picked up instantly. Kris set the phone to speaker so Chanyeol could hear everything.

“Yes, hyung? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine. Where are the guys?” 

“Oh, they’re all in Lay’s little den upstairs. I think they’re watching movies or playing cards or something.” The man explained.

“Ah, so they must have left their phones downstairs.”

“I guess. I’m in my office cleaning up right now, actually.”

“Oh, sorry for bothering you. Chanyeol just wanted to talk to the others and make sure they were alright.” Kris explained.

“It’s fine. I can go get them if you want.”Suho replied. Kris turned to his hybrid with a questioning look on his face. Chanyeol may have suggested calling Tao for him to speak to Kris, but deep down inside, the man knew that the beagle also wanted to hear his friend’s voice.

“Do you?”

“No, hyung. Let them watch the movie.” Chanyeol said quietly.

“Are you sure, pup?”

“Yes, we can call later.”

“If that’s what you want, babe.” Kris said. “We’ll call later Myeon. After they finish their movie.”

“I’ll tell you what. I’ll have them call right before dinner.” Suho said cheerily.

“Thanks man.” Kris said.

“No problem. And speaking of dinner, I better get cooking. Later.” Suho ended the call following his farewell. Kris set down his phone and pulled his puppy closer to his face.

“He’s going to have them call before dinner. So we’ll hear from them in no time.” Kris laced his fingers through Chanyeol’s hair as he spoke.

“Okay.” The beagle yawned as he buried his face in his owner’s chest. He slowly drifted to sleep in the comfort of his owner’s arms. Though Chanyeol hated the feeling of being sick and hated the fact that his closest friends weren’t with him, he had to admit that it was nice having his precious Kris to himself for a while. Kris loved all of his hybrids and tried to spend as much time evenly with them as possible, but sometimes it was hard to divide time between 4 pets. Add a long, demanding job in there and sometimes it seemed like Kris had do use a chart to hang out with the boys equally. Ninety nine percent of the time, the hybrids would just latch on to Kris as a group, and they were all fine with it. They loved spending time together and with their owner, so doing it as a group was the best of both worlds. But like all hybrids, they all had a longing for alone time with their care taker.

Sharing Kris wasn’t an issue between the boys, thankfully. As long as they had someone to cuddle with, the beagles and Tao were happy to give their housemates one-on-one time with the human. Still, it was always nice to have the man to themselves, even if it was just for a short while. And thus, Chanyeol stayed snuggled up in Kris’s warmth, content to remain that way until his illness passed.

 

It was around 6:15 when Chanyeol was awakened by the sound of whispering. It was Kris’s voice, and it sounded like he was speaking to someone.

“Really? That’s nice.” Chanyeol heard the man say. He turned slightly to try to angle his ears towards his owner.

“I’m glad you’re having fun, Taozi.”

“Tao?” the silver beagle’s eyes shot open immediately. His nose was in the air as he whiffed the scents around him. He picked up sweat, hair gel, and cologne, but no cat.

“Well, that sure woke you up.” Kris laughed as he patted his puppy’s head. “He’s on the phone, Yeollie.” Without saying anything more, Chanyeol snatched the phone out of Kris’s hand and put it to his own ear. It was due to excitement, which Kris knew of course, and wasn’t offended by it. He could hear the hybrid’s tail thumping under the bed sheets.

“Tao? Taozi, are you there?” Chanyeol asked.

“Pretty hyung? You sound funny.” Tao’s girly giggle sounded through the phone and it was music to Chanyeol’s ears. He hadn’t heard it in so long. Well, it was long from a puppy point of view.

“I’m still sick.” The dog said with a sad smile.

“Do you feel better?” the kitten asked.

“Yes. My throat doesn’t hurt anymore and I’m not coughing.”

“That’s good.” Tao meowed. And though Chanyeol couldn’t see him, he could picture in his head the cat hybrid’s fluffy tail swishing happily as he spoke. The gentle look in his dark baggy eyes, which were often magnified by his glasses. Chanyeol missed his little (yet not that little) kitten. He missed all of his friends. He felt tears welling in his eyes.

“I miss you.” The dog sniffed loudly. Kris rubbed soothing circles on his dog’s back. He reached for the phone to take over the conversation, but Chanyeol didn’t release his grip.

“I miss you too, hyung.”

“Where are Chen and Baek?”

“They’re washing up for dinner.” The cat responded.

“Oh.”

“Want me to go… um, get them?” Tao stuttered slightly, and Chanyeol thought it was just the cutest thing ever. The cat didn’t struggle much with Korean anymore, but he did still have a bit of a stutter.

“No, I’ll talk to them later. You go eat.” The dog hybrid replied. They all loved eating and Chanyeol didn’t want to delay his friends from eating their dinner.

“Are you sure, hyungie?”

“Yes. Make sure you eat a lot for hyung okay.”

“Okay, hyung. Bye bye.” Tao mewed.

“Bye.” And Chanyeol gave Kris back the phone. He felt the tears coming again.

“Bye bye, Tao. Well call back later okay? Okay, have fun.” Kris waited for Tao to hang up before putting the phone down. He took Chanyeol into his arms and let the boy cry. He could only imagine how much Chanyeol missed the others and wanted to see them.

“Sniff…hyung…” Chanyeol whined.

“It’s okay. You just said you were feeling better.” Kris spoke slowly, making sure Chanyeol wasn’t sniffing so much that he missed his words. “Just a bit more medicine and you should be good.”

“Can I have it now?” Chanyeol asked. He didn’t like the medicine, but if it brought him closer to seeing his hyungs and dongsaeng, he’d gladly take it. He wanted everyone to be together again.

“I’ll mix it with your dinner. Would that be okay?” the blond asked.

“Yes hyung.” The dog rolled off of his owner so that he could prepare both of their meals. Kris gave his dog a pat on the head before going to the kitchen.

Chanyeol couldn’t rest as he waited for Kris. He couldn’t stop thinking about his buddies. What were they eating? Did Suho make food for the beagles, or was it just kitty and rabbit food like fish and carrots? Was Chen eating kitty food or would he eat they puppy chow? Was Lay feeding Tao like he did Sehun, or would Baekhyun or Chen do it, like at home. Maybe Suho was feeding him. Or maybe Tao was just feeding himself. There was so much to think about and Chanyeol was still on dinner.

“What’s up, pup?” Chanyeol shook himself out of his thoughts and looked up to his owner holding a plate. The beagle’s nose was still a bit stuffy, so he wasn’t 100% certain what the meal was. He did detect a meat though.

“Oh, I was just thinking.” Chanyeol moved over to make space for his hyung.

“About what?” Kris asked. With the plate now it sight, Chanyeol could see that his suspicions were correct. It was an entire plate of delicious sesame chicken. The silver dog couldn’t help the drool that formed in his mouth and seeped off of his tongue. Kris chuckled and gave his puppy a forkful of chicken.

“The others.”

“I talked to Tao for a while before you woke up. He said they were all having fun.” Kris said, giving Chanyeol more food.

“What did they do all day? Did they play kitty games with Sehun? Did Chenny eat cat food? Did Lay feed them lunch? Did Suho cuddle with them like you do?” Chanyeol’s questions flew out of his mouth at a breakneck pace. It was only by giving him more chicken that Kris was able to respond.

“Well he didn’t say everything they did.” Kris laughed. “He said they played a lot together and that Sehun wanted to play with Lay.”

“Really? He said that? Sehun played with Lay hyung while they were there? What did they play?” Chanyeol asked, giving Kris some chicken.

“He didn’t say.” Kris chuckled as he chewed. “But I’m sure he’ll tell you all about it when he comes back. Chanyeol nodded. The two ate in silence until all of the chicken was gone. Once they were done eating, Kris set the plate on the nightstand.

“Thirsty?” the man asked his hybrid.

“A little bit.” The dog said, slightly panting. Kris nodded and grabbed the plate before heading downstairs. Chanyeol re-situated himself as he waited for Kris to come back. He looked at the clock. It was 7:30. He sighed to himself and closed his eyes. Being sick was so boring. He didn’t feel like doing anything, except sleeping. The only benefit that Chanyeol had was his owner being there to talk to him and cuddle him all day. It was nice, but it was pretty dull way to spend a day between just him and Kris. If he was feeling his normal self, he would have preferred to spend the day outdoors. He’d take Kris to all of his favorite Chinese diners and simply enjoy being together. Or maybe they could have gone to the park and played fetch. Chanyeol also wouldn’t have minded a movie, but he and Kris tended to spend more time kissing than actually watching the movie.

The sound of approaching footsteps was enough to snap Chanyeol out of his thoughts. Kris had returned with a large glass of water. The man brought the glass to his beagle’s lips waiting for him to get his fill. He planted a kiss on the dog’s forehead as he drank.

“Feeling better?”

“Yes. Much better, hyung.” Chanyeol could feel that he was blushing. He had no idea why, though. This wasn’t the first time Kris had fed him or given him a drink or anything. He waved it off as being an effect of the cold, and reached out for his owner to sit down.

“You sound much better, too.” Kris said. “Maybe you will be better by morning.” The silver puppy smiled and licked his owner on the cheek.

“I hope so.” Chanyeol signed as he sank onto Kris’s shoulder.

“I know you really want to see the others.” Kris said, gently stoking the beagle’s floppy ears.

“I do, hyung.” Chanyeol started. “But even more than that, I want to spend time with you when I’m not sick.”

“Really? I thought you liked being loved on all day, listening to my horrible, crappy singing voice.” The man teased. Chanyeol playfully nipped his owner’s ear.

“I do, but when I’m sick, I’m too tired to really enjoy it. And I can’t do anything back for you.” The dog hybrid sighed.

“You take care of me every day. It’s amazing that it took you getting sick to actually let me do stuff for you for a day.”

“I like taking care of you, hyungie.” Chanyeol nuzzled against his owner’s chest.

“I know.” Kris said pressing a kiss to the canine’s forehead. “But I like taking care of you more.” Chanyeol’s eyes widened as he stared at his owner, a quiet, confused whine leaving his throat.

“I just wish you’d let me do it more often.”

“But you do so much for me and the others. You work all day and you’re always so tired. I like being able to let you relax.” Chanyeol explained. “I want to show you how thankful I am for all that you do.”

“I know, and believe me I know how thankful all of you are. But I’d still like to make you breakfast and feed you and do stuff like that for a change.” The man kissed his dog again, this time on the canine’s neck right above his collar. Chanyeol couldn’t help but give his owner a bunch of kisses in response, mainly doggy kisses. He loved his owner so much. And as much as he like caring for Kris, if it really made his owner happy to take care of him in return, then Chanyeol wouldn’t stop him.

“We still have the rest of the night to ourselves, hyung.” Chanyeol said. Kris smiled lovingly and pulled his hybrid close. He peppered kisses on his forehead, his temples, his cheeks, his eyes, his cold nose, his neck, and all four ears. He petted the beagle on all of his favorite spots, his tummy, behind his ears, and of course his soft silver hair. And he sang to him once again. He sang popular pop songs, romantic love songs, American songs, and he even showed off his rapping skills.

Chanyeol adored every minute of it, panting madly in glee with his tail thumping against the bed the entire time. He went totally limp in his owner’s arms, simply enjoying the sound of the man’s voice and the kisses being placed on his face. For the first time in a while, the beagle let Kris take care of him and pamper him however he felt like. It was wonderful to be on the receiving end of so much attention from his owner. And though the dog wanted his friends to return home as soon as possible, for now, he’d enjoy the last few hours his had with just his owner and himself together. He certainly was feeling better. In fact, he could get used to this.

“Hyung?” Chanyeol whispered quietly.

“Yeah, Yeollie.”

“Can we do this again sometime?” the dog asked shyly. 

“Of course.” The tall man laughed. “I just said I wanted to take care of you more.”

“I mean…you singing to me. That’s what I like the most.” The dog had a happy grin on his face as he spoke. And there it was. That wonder gummy smile that Chanyeol loved so much. Brightening Kris’s entire face and making him look even more adorable in Chanyeol’s eyes.

“I’d sing for you anytime, Cànliè.” A gentle kiss was pressed to the beagle’s lips. And Chanyeol closed his eyes in bliss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hate how short this chapter is. I planned that the epilouges would be shorter than the chapters from the main story, but not this short:/ I'll try to make the next ones longer. I have lot's of ideas for epilouges, though, and I can't wait to get 'em all out here.
> 
> Again, sorry for the delay, and thanks for all who are reading and enjoying:)


	3. Who's My Kitty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever since I introduced Lay and Sehun, I wanted to do an epilouge for them. I hope everyone enjoys :3

“Who’s my kitty?”

“Aish, hyung. You’re messing up my face.” An aggravated growl responded.

“Who’s my kitty?” The boy asked, as he smeared more lipstick on the cat hybrid’s lips.

“I am, yeesh!” a hiss.

“And you’re?”

“Sehun. Sehun is your kitty. Now can we go eat?” the cat demanded.

“Ok, let’s get you cleaned up first.” Lay scooped up the taller hybrid in his arms and headed to the bathroom.

“Why are you so weird?” the Ragdoll kitten asked as he was set down on the bathroom sink, like a child.

“My Sehunnie is so pretty.” Lay said, gently wiping a towel across Sehun’s red stained mouth.

“No I’m not.” Sehun grumbled.

“The prettiest kitten of them all.” The bunny continued, washing away the mascara and blush. Sehun sighed. He had no idea why the older hybrid insisted on doing things like this. Dressing him up and putting make up on him like he was a doll, rather than a pet. It was ridiculous. Sehun wished he could tell the other boy off, but it was no use. He was 19 years old to his hyung’s 23. Suho would kill him if he was disrespectful to the rabbit. Not that it probably would have mattered. No matter how much Sehun whined, his complaints always fell on long, fuzzy deaf ears. Lay would do whatever he wanted with the rainbow furred kitten, and seemed oblivious to the younger boy’s annoyance. Sometimes Sehun wished Lay would bother Suho or just hang around by himself for a change.

“Aren’t you done yet?” A slouched Sehun hissed sassily. A sharp pinch on his arm jolted him upward. Lay was frowning at him. It was rare, but Lay would get upset with the younger hybrid if he felt he was acting bratty and would be quick to scold him.

“What was that?” the blue haired bunny questioned.

“Are you done, hyung?” the boy grumbled.

“Yes.”

“Can we go get breakfast now, please?”

“Yes we can.” Lay set the dirty towel in a basket to be washed before hoisting Sehun on his hip. This was something else the cat boy hated. Being carried around like a baby. Why did Lay insist on carrying him around so much? He was pretty much an adult for Pete’s sake! Well, it probably didn’t help that Sehun often asked for it. He was pretty lazy, like most cats, and quite often asked his hyung to carry him places if he didn’t feel like moving himself.

“Nyaaaa, what’s for breakfast?” Sehun mumbled. His pouting face was resting on the bunny’s head.

“Whatever you want~” Lay hummed.

“Suho hyung probably already cooked something.”

“Lay, Sehun, c’mon!” Came their owner’s voice. The bunny moved as fast as he could with the cat hybrid on his hip down the stairs to where Suho was.

“What is it?” Lay asked.

“Put on your shoes, we’re going to Kris’s house.” Suho said quickly.

“Whhhhhhhyyyyyyyy…I’m hungry….” Sehun whined.

“Chanyeol is sick and Kris doesn’t want the others to get sick, so they’re going to stay here for a while.”

“Wae?! How long is that?” The cat received a hard smack on the arm from the rabbit and a glare from his owner.

“As long as it takes, now go get ready.” The man said firmly.

“Yes, hyung.” The kitten moped.

“We’ll go get ready, hyung.” Lay said, bright and alert. Without another word he went to his room and sat Sehun on the bed. He grabbed a pair of the kitten’s shoes and quickly put the on his feet, tying them in a matter of seconds.

'Why couldn’t I put my own shoes on? Why does he think I’m three years old?'

The rabbit put on his own shoes just as fast and Sehun was back on his hip instantly. Suho was ready and waiting downstairs.

“The van is unlocked. Just hop on in and we’ll be on the way.” The man said, grabbing his keys.

“Sure thing.” Lay said, saluting his owner. He took Sehun to the van and sat him down by the window in the back seat.

“I want to sit in the front.” The Ragdoll meowed.

“You know that’s dangerous. Besides, hybrids aren’t supposed to sit in the front seat.” Lay said.

“We’re only going to be out for like 10 minutes. No one will see.” The cat pouted.

“We wouldn’t want to risk you getting hurt anyway.” Lay said, pinching the boy’s cheeks. And boy does Sehun wish he could swat the rabbit’s hand away. But at that moment, Suho entered the van.

“Alright, let’s go.”

 

The car ride was nothing special. Just Lay mindlessly patting Sehun’s hair as if he was in a trance. He probably spaced out again.

'What did I do to get stuck with such a weird housemate? Why does he pester me so much? I wish I could have a day to myself for once.'

“This is going to be nice. You guys get a whole day to play with three of your best friends. Won’t it be nice?” Suho said happily.

“Yeah, more hybrids for Lay to play dress up with.” Sehun mumbled.

Wait, that was it! With Chen, Baekhyun, and Tao in the house, Lay would finally have other hybrids to take his attention away from Sehun.

'I could have a day to myself. Finally!'

Sehun was so happy with his thoughts, that he hadn’t noticed that they’d arrived to the house. Baekhyun, Chen, and Tao were bounding towards them.

“Aw man, here it comes.” The kitty whined. And just like that, he became slobber fodder for Chen and Baekhyun.

“Sehunnie!” Chen barked as he licked the boy’s cheeks.

“This is going to be so much fun, Hun!” Bakehyun laughed.

“Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Kris hyung! I hope Yeollie gets well soon!” Lay shouted out the window.

“Don’t worry about anything Kris!” Suho yelled. “We’ll all be fine!” 

Yeah, I’ll be fine. With Lay out of my hair for a day, I’ll be more than fine.

 

Suho decided to pick up some breakfast sandwiches from a fast food restaurant before returning home, knowing that all of the boys were probably hungry and not wanting them to wait for him to cook anything. Once they entered the house, Kris’s crew set their belongings down in the living room before they all headed to the kitchen.

“You guys eat up. I’ve got some stuff to take care of, so I’ll be in my office. Keep the noise level down, okay?” Suho said.

“Yes, hyung.” They all replied in unison. The human male smiled as he took his sandwich and headed to the back where his office was located.

“What should we do first?” Chen asked with his cheeks full of food.

“Finish eating first.” Baekhyun said, his mouth equally full.

“My sandwich is too hot.” Tao whined.

“No it’s not.” Sehun deadpanned.

“Yes it is!”

“They were all the same temperature and none of ours were too hot.” The cat retorted.

“Mine is hotter.” The Li Hua Mao continued to whine.

“Just give it to me.” Baekhyun said. Tao handed the brunet the sandwich, who proceeded to blow on it.

“Ew.” Sehun wrinkled his nose is disgust.

“Now eat it.” Baekhyun said, shoving the sandwich back at the ebony kitten. The boy tentatively placed his teeth on the bread before pulling back.

“It’s still hot.”

“Ugggghhhhhh......” Baekhyun and Sehun groaned.

“Why don’t you take mine Taozi? It’s not hot.” Lay said. He scooted his chair closer to Tao and held the sandwich to the cat. Tao’s kittenish lips curved into a smile as he happily bit into it.

“Thank you hyung.” Tao mewled. Chen took Tao’s sandwich and pulled the bacon out of it before holding it up to Lay’s lips.

“His sandwich was fine.” Sehun muttered.

“Better to be safe than sorry.” The bunny said after swallowing his first bite.

“You shouldn’t do that, hyung. He’s already too spoiled.” Beakhyun teased.

“I don’t mind.” Lay said, patting Tao’s back as he continued to feed him. The black haired cat blushed and purred quietly.

“Thank you, hyung.”

'Guess Tao will be his plaything for today. As long as it’s not me.' Sehun thought.

After breakfast, the boys discarded their trash and went into the living room.

“So what are we gonna play?” Chen whined, hanging off of Baekhyun’s arm.

“I’m going to my room.” Sehun said. Before he could even move, his tail was grabbed by a familiar soft hand.

“Why are you going by yourself? We can all play together.” The bunny said, dimple present on his cheek.

“You’ve got these three to play dress up with. You don’t need me.” Sehun said. “Besides, I want to take a nap.” Lay looked disappointed, but let go of Sehun’s tail.

“Alright.” He said. Without another word, Sehun headed upstairs, happy to be given time by himself.

“What did he mean play dress up?” Chen asked.

“And more importantly, does it include eyeliner?” Baekhyun asked eagerly. His tail was wagging vigorously as he awaited Lay’s answer. Unfortunately, the bunny was staring at the cat hybrid who was still walking up the stairs. He appeared to have zoned out a bit.

“Lay? Xing, ge?” Tao mewed, wrapping his arms around the bunny’s head.

“Huh?”

“You did it again hyung.” Chen laughed.

“Oh really?” The bunny looked genuinely confused; not to mention adorable.

“What’s this about dress up Sehun was talking about?” Chen asked.

“Oh, we play with a makeup kit in my room.”

“Can we play?” Tao asked clapping his hands childishly.

“Sure.” The rabbit held the tall kitten by the hand as the quartet made their way to his room.

 

Sehun was sprawled out on his bed as he stared up at the ceiling. It was the first time in a while that there wasn’t a bunny snuggled up next to him on his bed. Heck, it was the first time in a while that he was in his own bed. His clingy housemate had a habit of bringing Sehun to bed with him after they finished playing and he’d been doing it a lot more frequently, lately.

“Ah, finally. Some time to myself.” The kitten purred. He curled his body into a ball and closed his eyes, slowly drifting to sleep.

Or rather he would be drifting to sleep…if he could get to sleep. But for whatever reason, the kitten didn’t feeltired. He was lying in his own bed, in his typical cat position, but he couldn’t fall asleep. Any other day he’d be out like a light. What was different this time? How did he usually get to sleep? Well Lay would cradle him in his arms, gently rub his hair, sing him some sweet lullabies, give him warm milk…

“No way!” Sehun wasn’t sure what surprised him more. The fact that he’d just shouted out of nowhere, or the mere idea that Lay affected his ability to sleep.

“That doesn’t have anything to do with anything.” The cat said to himself. He plopped down on his bed and wrapped the covers around him, completely covering his head. He shut his eyes tightly and tried to fall asleep. The hybrid lay in that position for about 5 minutes before sitting up once again.

“Yah, why can’t I just sleep?!” The Ragdoll threw the covers off of himself in frustration. He slumped back down against the headboard. “What’s wrong with me?” Sehun was getting aggravated now. Why the heck was this so stressful? He just wanted to take a nap. Suddenly, a knock at the door snapped the cat’s attention away from his frustration.

“Yeah? Come in.” he meowed. To his surprise, it was Tao at the door.

“Are you okay?” the ebony kitten asked.

“Uh…yeah.” Sehun lied, scratching his head.

“Oh, well…um, we heard you growling and Lay said you might want some warm milk.” The kitten pulled a large glass of milk from behind his back. Sehun was shocked. He was certain that Lay wouldn’t be thinking about him with the other 3 to distract him.

“He did?”

“Yeah, he said if you don’t drink it you act grumpy, and that’s probably why you weren’t asleep yet.” Tao smiled sheepishly. Sehun sighed, embarrassed to be given such an infantile description.

“Well I…I guess I’ll take it.” The Ragdoll mumbled, a slight blush on his pale face. Tao smiled brightly and handed the milk to the other cat. Thankfully, Tao didn’t insist on feeding him like Lay did. With Tao close up, Sehun noticed few things that he hadn’t noticed before. First of all, Tao’s lips were coated in shiny golden lip gloss. His glasses were off so it was easy to see that eyes sported a rich blue eye shadow. But the most notable thing was his outfit.

“Isn’t that the sweater vest we got you?” he asked after taking a giant gulp of milk.

“Oh yeah, we all brought them so you could see them on us.” Tao giggled.

“So the others have theirs on?”

“Yeah.”

“Do they also have…” Sehun waved his had in front of his face, a gesture informing Tao that he was referring to his makeup.

“Yeah, Lay’s working on Chen Chen now.” The kitty mewled.

“Whatever.” The cat sighed. He finished drinking his milk and let out a large yawn.

“Sleepy now?” Tao chuckled.

“Just go play your game.” Sehun hissed, putting the empty glass on his nightstand. Tao looked towards the ground and twiddled his fingers together. It was obvious that something was on his mind. “What?”

“Don’t you want to come too?”

“No.”

“But…”

“I just want some time to myself, Tao. Can’t I have that for once?”

“Okay.” Tao mumbled, clearly disappointed. After the door was closed, Sehun curled himself into a ball once again, a newfound wave of sleepiness upon him.

 

Tao soon returned to Lay’s bedroom. The rabbit hybrid’s room looked like any normal room for a 23 year old…minus the inclusion of a giant cushion fort directly in the center. Not to mention the large thick blankets sprawled around the room. And the complete lack of a bed. Being a rabbit, Lay found it more comfortable to make his room into a makeshift den, claiming that it felt more like a home. Suho didn’t mind it as long as his bunny stuck to blankets and pillows rather than real rodent bedding. Lay’s other hybrid friends thought it was the coolest thing ever, and thus Suho’s house became the main hangout for his friends’ hybrid bunch. As Tao crawled under the blankets, he heard a distinctive chuckling from a certain kitty beagle along with a whining bunny.

“Hey, cut that out!” Lay whined.

“Bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Do it again, hyung!” Chen laughed. His mouth was covered in pink lipstick and he had matching mascara on his eyes. Beakhyun, who was only sporting some bright blue glitter gloss, pulled the blue haired bunny close to him and gently blew on the back of his neck.

“Aish!” the rabbit hybrid quietly shrieked, not wanting to disturb his owner.

“Yah, is this a rabbit thing, or just a ‘you’ thing?” Chen asked. At the same time, Tao had made it back under the fort.

“What are you doing?” the ebony cat asked, frowning at Chen. He already had a hunch what was going on.

“Aigoo, why do you always pick on me?” The rabbit hybrid pouted. Baekhyun pulled Lay towards him again, but kissed the back of his neck this time, leaving a glittery kiss mark behind. Chen gave the bunny a friendly lick on the cheek.

“You know we love you, hyung.” Chen said, wagging his tail. His puppy eyes in full view.

“You’re just so cute when you’re like that.” Baekhyun added, his tail also wagging a mile a minute.

“What happened with Sehun?” Lay asked Tao, his focus turning to his distressed kitty.

“I gave him the milk, but he still…uh, do not want to come.” Tao mumbled, stuttering a bit.

“He never wants to play with me.” Lay sighed.

“But you always say that you play all the time.” Chen said, his head tilted.

“Only if I make him. He just doesn’t leave because he’s too lazy to.” Lay smiled sadly as he spoke. “But he doesn’t even play. He just sits there while I play with him.” The rabbit thought to the many times he played make-up with the kitten, staring deadpan at him as he just did what he pleased with the younger. Chen patted the bunny’s sad head.

“Why is he like that?” Tao asked.

“It might just be him being a teenager. Or maybe it’s just because he’s a cat.” Lay suggested.

“It can’t be a cat thing, because Tao liked us really quickly.” Baekhyun reasoned, stroking the black cat’s ears.

“I took a while too.” Tao mewed nervously. “But I know I’m a bit more clingy than other cat hybrids. When I get to know the person, that is.” The kitten blushed as he spoke.

“At least you weren’t mean.” Chen commented, still petting Lay.

“Sehunnie isn’t mean. He’s just likes to act tough around other people, but he’s really sweet if it’s just us two together.” Lay said. “Like a certain beagle we all know.” The rabbit glared at Baekhyun as he spoke.

“Wae? What are you talking about?” The brunet puppy blushed as he turned his head away from the others, knowing good and well what the bunny meant.

“What do you and Sehun do together?” Tao asked, rubbing his fluffy tail in his hands. He was genuinely curious since Sehun tried to avoid interacting with his housemate anytime they were in public.

“We usually just talk. Sometimes we’ll play games, like dress up. Or I’ll throw yarn balls for him to play with.” The bunny hybrid had a dreamy look on his face as he spoke. “I feed him his meals and then we’ll nap here in the fort. Sometimes he’ll be so relaxed that he purrs while he sleeps. It’s nice.” And just like that, Lay spaced out once again as he thought about the enjoyable moments with the rainbow furred kitten. The beagles and Tao smiled fondly at each other. They loved seeing Lay so happy. They just wished Sehun was less…independent. Sure he was a cat hybrid and that was their nature, but they wished for him to at least act closer to his owner and housemate. And soon they were all in a trance, thinking about the younger boy.

But almost as if the cat had read their minds, he popped his head into the cushion fort.

“Um, I…” the cat was caught off guard as he saw Chen and Baekhyun pressed against Lay’s sides, the former resting his head on the bunny’s shoulder.

'That’s my spot'

“Sehun!” Lay smiled, his dimple glowing brightly. He reached his arms out for the kitten to go towards him. Sehun shook his head to remove that previous thought from his mind. He looked around the fort. The others didn’t seem to notice his awkward pause from before. They all smiled at him normally and Tao even squeezed the younger cat’s cheeks gently.

“What’s going on?” the Ragdoll asked.

“We were playing dress up with Lay, remember?” Tao stated, gesturing at the horrible makeup renditions on his face.

“I thought you went to sleep.” Chen commented. Sehun nearly hissed when he looked back over to the beagle, still lying his head on Lay’s shoulder. He wasn’t even sure why it bothered him so much. Being occupied with Chen and Baekhyun meant Lay wasn’t bothering him.

“I was, but…I woke up.” The cat whispered sheepishly, averting his eyes from the beagles.

“You usually sleep for about 3 hours. Are you sick?” Lay looked concerned as he spoke. Tao reached out to check Sehun’s forehead, which didn’t feel feverish.

“I don’t feel sick. I guess I just wasn’t that tired.”

“Or maybe he missed you.” Baekhyun teased.

“I did not!” the rainbow cat hissed.

“Then why did you come in here?” the curly beagle asked. And Sehun’s face dropped, as if he didn’t even know why he went in there...which was actually true. He wasn’t really sure what provoked him to go to Lay’s room after waking up from a 20 minute nap.

“Uh……I….” the cat hybrid struggled to find any words.

“Aw, he did miss you.” Chen cooed, nuzzling a smiling Lay’s cheek.

“No I didn’t!” The cat was whining now, a huge pout present on his face. Something totally uncharacteristic of him. “I live here, I can go wherever I want! And I just felt like coming in here!

“Ha ha ha ha ha, whatever.” The brunet laughed. And Sehun hissed again.

“Are you going to stay and play with us?” Tao asked, his eyes and voice gentle. And Sehun was struggling to say no.

“Not if you’re going to play that.” The cat said gesturing to the makeup kit in front of his housemate.

“We don’t have to. Everyone’s already made up anyway.” Lay said. “We can watch a movie or something.”

“Ooooh, yeah. Movie movie movie!” Chen barked.

“Which one though?” Bakehyun asked.

“I wanted to watch a new one called Unexpected Love.” Lay said. “Wanna watch it?” The beagles happily barked to affirm the decision. Lay quickly crawled out of the fort to grab his laptop and the movie. The others positioned themselves to get comfortable for the movie in the meantime. Baekhyun and Chen cuddled up next to each other and pulled a blanket over their legs. Tao wrapped an arm around Sehun before he could even say anything. Lay returned within 5 minutes with the laptop, along with some snacks that he kept stored under another pile of blankets. He sat in between the two snuggling pairs, Chen and Tao on either side of him. 

Sehun leaned on Tao’s body and wrapped his arms around the older kitten. “I’m just gonna stay here because it smells nice.” He was referring to Tao’s catnip scented sweater vest.

“Just you being here is nice enough.” Lay said as he cuddled close to Tao. He and Chen immediately rested their heads on the rabbit’s shoulders. And Sehun shut his eyes tightly.

 

“Aw, he looks so cute.” The curly beagle cooed.

“Never thought I’d hear that about Sehun.” Baekhyun joked, gently reaching over to pat Sehun’s hair.

“He’s a little angel.” Lay said sweetly.

“He’s like a baby.” Tao added.

Sehun was currently curled up on Tao’s lap, sleeping peacefully. The others had been so caught up in their film that they hadn’t noticed the boy slowly drifting to sleep. Tao however, noticed from the beginning. The way Sehun was yawning every few minutes and blinking his eyes slower and slower, Tao knew he’d fall asleep eventually. He eventually stared slowly patting the boy’s rear end, just like he’d seen Lay do several times before. And soon, Sehun was out like a light.

“He said he couldn’t sleep before, though.” Tao tilted his head in confusion as he looked at Lay.

“Well he always falls asleep pretty quickly here in the den. Maybe that’s why.” Lay reasoned.

“He falls asleep faster in your den than in his own bed?” Chen questioned.

“We actually sleep in here together a lot. Actually, I think Sehun sleeps in here more than in his bed.”

“Aw, that’s why he came in here.” Baekhyun said. “He knew he’d fall asleep if he was under your fort and blankets.” Lay smiled at the comment. He loved the idea of his room making Sehun feel comfortable.

“I’m hungry. What time is it?” Tao mewled.

“It should be dinner time soon.” Lay said.

“Dinner already?” Baekhyun asked.

“We’ve actually been in here for a long time.”

“But the movie’s not over yet.” The curly beagle whined.

“We can just wait until it finishes.” Lay said.

And so, the group continued their movie. As it went on though, Tao too started to get tired. He snuggled closer to Lay’s body and nuzzled into his neck. Lay, ever the affectionate bunny, began gently grooming Tao. He licked the young boy’s neck for a while before moving onto his soft black hair. The kitten purred loudly and gently licked Lay’s exposed chest as he enjoyed the attention.

Sehun was slightly jostled by the movements of the older cat. Additionally, the loud purring made it even harder for the boy to stay asleep and his eyes slowly blinked open. What he saw brought upon a horrible feeling in the bottom of his stomach. Lay was grooming Tao and the kitten was grooming him back and he was purring like crazy. Lay’s half closed eyes looked dreamily at Tao as he licked his dark hair. That’s the look he usually only gave Sehun. The two looked so intimate. But why was Lay loving up on Tao like this? Sehun was his kitty. Not Tao. And why was Chen’s head still on Lay’s shoulder? Chen wasn’t even a whole cat hybrid. He could never be Lay’s kitty. Only Sehun could.

“Stop that!” Sehun hissed as he shot out of Tao’s lap. In an instant he found himself pressed against Lay’s body, burying his face into the rabbit’s neck.

“What’s wrong Sehun?” Lay asked. Baekhyun had already gone to Tao and wrapped his arms around the young kitten.

“Why did you do that?” Chen asked, still too close to Lay for Sehun’s comfort.

“Get off of him!” Sehun hissed. And the Ragdoll soon found a pair of strong incisors in the back of his neck. Lay rarely scolded Sehun by biting him. It was only when the kitten had been really rude or inappropriate that he’d do so. Regardless, Chen quickly removed himself from Lay’s body and snaked behind Baekhyun for comfort.

“What’s your problem?” Baekhyun demanded.

“You’re hurting my neck.” Sehun whined, focusing more on Lay’s bite. The rabbit eventually removed his teeth from Sehun’s neck. He glared sternly at the cat hybrid.

“Sehun, apologize to Chen and Tao.” Lay ordered.

“Why should I?” the cat pouted, turning away from Lay’s glare.

“Because we don’t yell at our friends.”

“Well, they were in my spot!” the cat hissed.

“What are you even talking about?” Baekhyun growled, still cradling Tao.

“What do you mean? You were the only one on Tao’s lap.” Lay asked, still frowning at Sehun.

“I’m supposed to be your kitty! Not them! Why are you grooming and cuddling them so much?!” Sehun screamed. He pushed himself off of Lay’s body and stomped out of the den.

Everyone was confused. Tao and Chen were still shaken and Lay couldn’t be more shocked. Sehun, the cat who’s never once cared about Lay being affectionate with others, who’s tried to spend as much ‘alone time’ as possible… just yelled at him for not giving him attention. Tao sniffled as he tried with every fiber of his being not to cry. Chen wrapped the tall cat in his arms and began gently singing to him. His voice was very much like a cat’s meow. Baekhyun on the other hand turned his attention to Lay.

“I’m sorry guys. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.” Lay sighed. But Baekhyun had a hunch what was going on. After all, something similar had happened at their house a while back.

“I think our little kitty was a bit jealous.” The brown haired beagle said.

“Jealous? Sehun? Why would he be?” Lay asked, one long floppy ear in the shape of a question mark.

“Lay, I think we all know that Sehun cares for you more than he lets on.” The brunet said.

“Well yeah, I know. But he’s never acted like this.”

“You should go talk to him. Something is definitely bothering him.”

“But, Taozi…” The blue bunny looked at the cat who was slowly regaining his composure.

“Sniff, I’m okay. You should talk to Sehunnie.” Tao mewled quietly, as small smile on his face.

“Are you sure?” Lay asked, reaching to wipe away Tao’s tears.

“Yes. He’s a baby. He needs his big brother.” The kitten smiled. Lay gave Tao a quick kiss and a pat on the head before crawling out of the den.

“Are you really okay, Tao?” Chen asked.

“Yes, hyung.”

“That was really mature of you.” Baekhyun added. “You sure you don’t need anything?”

“Um…well, I…I just want to call Kris, ge.” The kitten said, twiddling his thumbs. He still felt like he was going to cry and knew that hearing his owner’s voice would make him feel better.

“Wanna talk to Kris? Okay, I’ll get your phone.” Baekhyun said.

 

Sehun was lying on his bed looking angrily at the celling. He has furious and sad just thinking about what happened in the other room. Why did Lay do that? Why would he groom the others like that? They’re not his kitties. They don’t live there. If they were just cuddling that would be one thing. Sehun could handle that. But grooming was a special hybrid activity. Only the closest of hybrids did that. Heck, Sehun would have been fine with it if Lay had only groomed him as well. It was only fair since he was Lay’s housemate. But then again…when did he care so much about being Lay’s housemate?

“Ugh, this is so annoying! Why am I like this?” The Ragdoll moaned. He curled into a ball and angrily chewed on his tail, totally confused as to what was wrong with him. Just that morning, Sehun was upset about Lay clinging to him constantly, but now he was mad that the rabbit was interacting with someone else. The cat hybrid wasn’t sure why he was suddenly acting so strange, but a hard knock at his door interrupted his thoughts.

“Um, come in.” There was evident nervousness in his voice. The cat shivered in fear as he wondered what was about to happen and his fears only increased when he saw who came in the room.

“Sehun, we need to talk.” Suho said, hands on his hips. Lay was standing behind him, the unusually stern look still on his face.

“Yes hyung.” Sehun sighed, sitting up properly. Lay joined the hybrid on the bed while their owner remained standing in front of them.

“Why did you yell at Tao and Chen?” the oldest man asked. Sehun averted his eyes from his owner and housemate before answering.

“Because…they made me angry.” The cat huffed.

“Why were you angry?

“Because…because…”

“Because what, Oh Sehun?” Suho asked.

“Yah, I don’t know!” Sehun whined, flopping onto his back.

“Sit up, now.” The short man ordered. His tone was soft and gentle, yet Sehun still felt the authority from the statement. He did as asked.

“Why were you angry?” Suho asked again. “I want the truth.”

“Because they kept licking Lay and leaning all over him.” The cat pouted, turning his head opposite of the bunny.

“And why were you upset by that?”

“Because I’m his cat. I mean…I’m the cat who lives with him.”

“Our friends have groomed and cuddled with me before, and you were never mad any of those times.” Lay said, his expression softening.

“Well, you were always holding me in your lap those times. I still felt like…like…” Sehun was struggling for words once again. “I just felt better okay.”

Suho’s hard expression too began to falter as he started to understand what was truly bothering his kitten.

“Sehun, don’t you know that Lay loves you?” the human asked. Sehun simply nodded as a response. “And you know I love you.”

“Mmh.” Was the cat hybrid’s reply.

“Well then you should know that no amount of cuddling or playing we do with other hybrids will change how much we love you.”

“I know that.”

“Then why were you upset earlier?” Lay asked. Sehun shrugged his shoulders.

“Did you feel jealous?” Suho asked this time. Sehun remained quiet though. “Were you missing Lay’s attention?” Sehun blushed and turned his head. He certainly didn’t want to admit that that was exactly what had upset him. Especially after how he’d always tried to get some time away from the overly clingy bunny.

“I’m sorry.” Sehun said. Suho chuckled and turned Sehun’s head towards him. He gave him a quick peck on the lips.

“Apologize to Chen and Taozi. Not me. I’m going to go start dinner.” And with that, the short man left the room.

Sehun’s eyes were fixated on the ground. There was silence between the two hybrids for a while before Lay eventually spoke up.

“Did you really miss me giving you attention?” He asked, a small smile on his face. Sehun mewled and averted his eyes once again.

“I always felt that you were annoyed by me. Sometimes I almost thought that you didn’t like me.” Lay continued, and Sehun visibly flinched at his words. The rabbit hybrid noticed and began gently patting the kitten’s ears. “I know you sometimes don’t really like how overly clingy I am with you, but I want you to know how much I love you. How I love nothing more than spending every moment of every day with you.”

“Mrrrooow…”

“And I want you to know that’ll you’ll always be my number one priority. You’re my kitty after all.” Lay planted a gentle kiss on Sehun’s temple, eliciting a quiet mew from the boy.

“Are you ready for dinner?” The blue rabbit asked. Sehun, still silent for some reason, nodded affirmatively. Lay smiled that bright dimpled smile of his.

“Who’s my kitty?” Lay asked once again. Sehun felt strange. Like a weird burst of emotions were circulating throughout his body.

“Sehun.” The Ragdoll purred. Lay smiled and stood up. He gently hoisted Sehun in his arms; positioning him in his usual place on his hip. The odd feeling was still flowing throughout Sehun’s body and he almost didn’t realize his next words.

“Who’s……” the cat lingered on the word for a while.

“Hm?” Lay hummed, softly patting Sehun’s butt.

“Who’s my bunny?” the cat blushed as he finished his question, almost in disbelief that he’d actually said it.

An immensely large smile took over Lay’s face. His dimples were burning through his cheeks and he almost couldn’t contain himself. He never thought he’d ever hear such a thing from Sehun. The same cat who always responded to Lay’s version with apathy or even annoyance. Perhaps things were getting better. Maybe Sehun would be more open about his feelings from now on; at least between the two of them. Only time would tell, but regardless, Lay would of course keep taking care of Sehun just like he had before.

“Lay~”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of wish this was longer, but at the same time I didn't want it to be too long. I hope everyone liked it for what it was though. I think tsundere Sehun and clingy Lay are adorable as a pair.
> 
> Also, alerting everyone who may not have read the initial story that any errors with Tao's speech are intentional to show that he still struggles with the language sometimes.
> 
> Thanks for reading everyone :)


	4. Do I Deserve it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, and this is probably my favorite chapter so far. I've been wanting to write something like this for a while. I hope everyone enjoys it.

The bright morning sun beamed across a certain curly beagle’s face. He tossed and turned for a few minutes before finally sitting up. The hybrid yawned cutely as he opened his eyes. Tao and Baekhyun were snuggled up next to each other, still sleeping peacefully. The twin towers weren’t present, probably downstairs making breakfast. Chen quietly got out of the bed so as not to disturb the others and decided to have a quick shower before breakfast.

While in the bathroom, listening to the sound of the water hitting the floor of the tub, Chen was quickly removing his pajamas in preparation for his shower. He’d already taken off his pants, underwear and shirt, and was seconds from stepping in the shower before he remembered.

His collar. The curly beagle hooked two fingers around the accessory as he’d done so frequently since getting the thing. Chen hated taking off his collar. It was something he’d never in a lifetime imagined he’d ever receive. It showed that he was owned, loved, cherished. He wanted to keep it on his neck forever. Even the idea of taking it off for normal everyday activities such as showers or trying on new clothes just made his cringe. As such, the boy often struggled nowadays with cleaning himself, just because of the fact that he’d have to take off his precious collar. Not wanting to waste anymore of Kris’s water, the puppy quickly removed the collar and washed himself so that he could quickly put the accessory back on. 

Chen made his way downstairs quickly. He’d just put on a simple hoodie and beanie combo since it was still a bit cold outside, which meant that the house was rather cool as well. As expected, the twin towers were finishing up their cooking. Kris appeared to be frying something on the stove while, Chanyeol was back hugging him. The silver beagle was pressing gentle kisses to his owner’s neck and they were whispering amongst each other, though Chen, even with his beagle ears, couldn’t really make out what they were saying. 

The sight was so cute that it made Chen quietly purr to himself. The mixed hybrid had slowly become a bit more comfortable outwardly showing off his cat DNA, though it was still a rare event on its own. Chanyeol must have sensed Chen’s presence, for the tall beagle turned around, tail wagging, to greet the shorter hybrid.

“Good morning, Chen.” The boy yipped, bouncing over to give his hyung a hug.

“Morning guys.” The curly boy laughed.

“So it was you showering.” Kris commented as he went to kiss the other hybrid as well. “Are the others awake, too?”

“They weren’t when I woke up, but who knows now?” Chen asked.

“Heh, yeah. Tao and Baek tend to wake up and then just lie in bed talking for half an hour.” Kris chuckled. “I go check and see.” With that, the tall man exited the kitchen and headed upstairs. Chen sat down at the table while Chanyeol finished setting out the food. As usual, they had quite a large spread, consisting of eggs, bacon, rice, sausage, toast, French toast, pancakes, and a few other sides.

“This looks great. Kris made all of it?” Chen asked, as he started fixing his plate.

“Nah, I made most and he just handled the rice and eggs.”

“You’re the best.” Chen said, chewing his food. “This is delicious.” 

“Anything to make Kris hyung and you guys happy.” Chanyeol said with a smile. He scratched behind his neck for a minute causing his collar to start jingling. The accessory that adorned the tall hybrid went beautifully with his luscious fur. Of all the hybrids Kris owned, Chanyeol definitely deserved his collar the most, Chen thought. He cooked, cleaned, and cuddled and all of it was without being asked. He was everything a human could want and more. Chen wouldn’t at all be surprised if the Chanyeol was the deciding factor in Kris’s decision to get them all collars.

Chen then thought to himself as he lightly rubbed at the leather around his neck. What did he do to deserve his collar? He rarely ever cooked, never really cleaned, and preferred being cuddled to actually cuddling something else. And any chores he ever did were never of his own free will. He always had to be asked, and sometimes he’d even try to whine his way out of it. Now that he thought about it, Chen didn’t really think he was worthy of a collar at all. 

“Are you okay, hyung?” Came Chanyeol’s voice. Chen shook his head and snapped out of his thoughts as he looked at the younger beagle.

“Huh?”

“You’ve been staring at your plate for a while now.” Chanyeol said.

“Oh…I…I guess I’m still a bit tired.” The dog chuckled, forking up some more rice. At that moment, Kris returned downstairs with Baekhyun and Tao.

“Morning~” The dog sang. And Tao simply meowed as his greeting.

“Good morning guys.” Chen said chewing. 

“Morning.” Chanyeol barked. As usual, he made Kris a plate and began feeding him. Baekhyun meanwhile made a plate for Tao before making own. The two other hybrids rotated between feeding Chanyeol since he was always so focused on making sure Kris ate enough.

The other hybrids were all so helpful and selfless. They all made plates for each other before eating for themselves. Chen just sat down and started eating as soon as the table was set. Chanyeol, who’d been sitting with him the entire time, hadn’t even started eating. He always waited for the others before he himself ate. Chen soon began to feel guilty. All of the other hybrids were more than deserving of their collars. They were generous and incredibly sweet to one another and did it all of their own free will. It just came naturally to them. Chen on the other hand never did anything like that. He just took and took from the others and never gave in return. 

'Do I…do I even deserve a collar?'

“Chen hyung, can you pass the bacon?” a quiet meow said.

“Oh, yeah. Here you go.” Chen’s voice was monotone and he didn’t even look at Tao as he passed the food. And once again, he’d stopped eating. Everyone was confused at the out of character behavior.

“Are you feeling okay, Chen?” Chanyeol asked.

“Uh, yeah I just…I’m not really hungry right now.”

“You, not hungry?” Kris questioned in disbelief. “Never thought I’d hear those words.”

“Yeah, this kid is nearly as greedy as Tao.” Baekhyun joked.

“I’m still a bit tired. Can I go lie down?” Chen asked, wanting to get away from any further questioning.

“You don’t feel sick do you?” Kris asked, just to be certain.

“No, hyung.” The half beagle gave off a smile, insisting that he was okay. Kris nodded, but still didn’t seem like he fully believed Chen. The dog made his way out regardless and headed to the living room.

'I don’t deserve this collar. I never do anything around here. All I do is use everyone else. Baekhyun said it himself. I’m greedy. I eat all day, but barely cook. When was the last time I cooked? When I made that fish for Tao a while back? Chanyeol cooks all day every day. Of course he deserves his collar. And Baekhyun…he does all of the laundry. Even Tao does more around here than me. He makes the bed and bathes us in the shower. It would be a crime not to give them a collar. And what have I done to deserve mine? Nothing…After everything Kris has done for me. He took me in when I was the lowest possible form of pet on the planet. Kris could have bought any hybrid, but he took me in. He feeds me the best he can provide. He gave me a phone and a credit card. He buys me any clothes and toys I want. And what do I do to show my appreciation?' 

'I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve anything.'

Chen’s eyes were squeezed tightly shut as he struggled not to cry. He hated that these thoughts were going on in his mind, but he couldn’t help it. It was true. He didn’t do anything to deserving of a collar. And the fact that he was just handed one for free just made him feel worse.

'You don’t deserve this. It’s only because of the others that you’re here. And it’s only because of the work that they do that you have this collar.'

A large hand gently stroking his hair is what snapped Chen out of his thoughts. He opened his eyes and was met with the sight of his wonderful owner.

“Hey bud. You feeling better?” The man asked gently.

“Yeah, I just wasn’t all that hungry. Sorry if I worried you.” The puppy answered.

“It’s fine. I just want to make sure you’re alright.” Kris said as he continued petting Chen’s tan locks. 

“Thank you, hyung.”

“Well, I just came to tell you that I’m heading out to the store for some groceries.”

“Really?! Oooh, can you buy some more bacon?! And chicken. Sesame chicken!” The dog asked, instantly getting excited.

“Ha ha ha ha, sure thing pup.” Kris planted a gentle kiss on Chen’s forehead before heading upstairs to get his money. The curly haired beagle lay his head back down on the sofa and closed his eyes once again.

'How typical. Just begging for food again. And you’re probably not even going to do any cooking when he buys it. What a pathetic mutt you are. Kris ought to rip that collar off your undeserving neck and…'

Chen gasped as he shot up into a sitting position. Was he talking to himself in his head? It didn’t matter because that voice was right. 

“I…I’m doing it again. I’m just begging and taking and not doing anything to help anyone else. I really am a bad dog.” The beagle sniffed to himself. Chen shook his head and stood up. He’d had enough. It was time to start making some changes. No more lazy Chen. He was going to start acting like a good pet and take care of his owner the way any hybrid should. His floppy ears perked up at the sound of Kris’s voice in the kitchen.

“Alright guys, I’ll be back in a few hours.” The tall blond said. Kris passed through the living room when Chen was now standing by the front door. “What’s up Chen Chen? You hear something outside?”

“Huh, oh no. I um, I wanted to go shopping with you.”

“You want to come shopping? You never want to come. Usually we have to drag you out of the house.” Kris laughed. He was joking, and Chen knew that, but it was true. Chen always had to be begged to do any sort of chores. The realization of how selfish he had been, made Chen’s heart hurt. He needed to redeem himself more than ever.

“I want to help you this time hyung. Please can I come?” The dog begged, adding in some cute whimpers.

“Okay, okay, just cut the aegyo.” Kris said, scratching the dog under his chin. “We’re heading out guys!” Kris called to the others. And immediately, Baekhyun and Tao pranced into the living room

“We? Chen’s going?” Baekhyun asked, clearly in disbelief.

“Chen Chen never wants to go shopping.” Tao added.

“That’s what I said.” Kris chuckled. “We’ll be back soon. See you later.” 

“Yeah, bye guys!” Chen barked as he dashed out to the car.

“Later!” Baekhyun barked.

“Bye hyung and ge ge!” Tao mewled.

 

The car ride to the supermarket was actually pretty enjoyable. Chen enjoyed sitting shotgun, Chanyeol’s typical spot, and letting the wind smack against his face through the open window.

“For someone how doesn’t like grocery shopping, you sure love car rides.” Kris laughed.

“Riding is funner than shopping.” The beagle panted happily.

“Whatever makes you happy, bud.” Kris said, extending a hand to gently pat his puppy. His large hand wrapped itself entirely around Chen’s neck, jingling the collar as he petted the boy.

'I just want to show you how much this means to me hyung. I finally gonna act like a dog that you deserve.'

Chen slowly eased himself into Kris’s touch and before he knew it, he was leaning back in the chair and against Kris’s shoulder. Kris didn’t mind it. He was more than capable of driving with one hand. Plus seeing Chen leaning onto him like a rag doll with his eyes closed and his long tongue sticking out was too cute for words. It was especially adorable when Kris would intentionally stop petting the beagle, causing him to squirm around and whine; only to stop and go back to blissful panting when the man resumed his ministrations. 

'What a cutie.” Kris thought to himself.'

It was only a 10 minute drive from Kris’s house to the store. Nevertheless, Chen had actually fallen asleep during the short ride. Kris’s petting was so soothing and sweet that any hybrid would beg for it.

“Chen Chen. Wake up. We’re here Chenny.” Kris whispered softly. The tan furred beagle shook himself awake, yawning cutely with his tongue still hanging out of his mouth.

“Hm? Where are we?”

“The store, pup. Remember?” 

“Huh, oh yeah. Grocries, let’s go!” Chen shouted as he jumped out of the car. His tail was wagging a mile a minute before he realized where they were. 

All of a sudden, Chen felt sick to his stomach, and in that moment he instantly remembered why he never really went grocery shopping with Kris. They were in front of the supermarket, but not just any one. It was the market where Chen had stayed when he was still a stray. It was where he’d been abandoned. The memories were coming back. The memories of being verbally and physically abused. All of the harassment. The blazing days and the freezing nights. The heart shattering hatred.

'What an ugly mutt! How pathetic.'

'That loser is gonna be out here forever. He’ll probably die out here.'

'Worthless hybrid. No one would ever want such a gross creature.'

“Chen, you ready?” Kris asked. He had already gotten a basket for their items.

“Yeah. Yeah! Let’s go!” Chen said, trying to sound as happy as possible. He had no time to let his past get in the way of the present. Right now, his mission was to help Kris shop and prove himself as a good puppy, and that’s what he was going to do. The boys continued walking and when they made it to the front entrance, Chen began to quiver. They’d literally walked by the spot where he sat and basically lived for over a year. The feelings were coming back to him. The feelings of worthlessness, misery, depression, of being un-loved.

The beagle shoved those thoughts from his mind. He wasn’t there to think about those days. He wasn’t a stray anymore. He had an owner, friends, a home. He was cared for. There was no reason to let those memories back into his mind.

“So what’s first on the list, Kris?” Chen asked, becoming peppy once again.

“Usually I get the meat first, so let’s head over to the butcher.” Kris said. Chen nodded and followed his owner dutifully. He looked around the store and noticed that there weren’t many other hybrids there. It wasn’t shocking or anything. With how hybrids were treated by society, most of them tended to avoid human heavily locations. It was also a well-known fact that out of all of the places people hated to see hybrids, it was in the supermarket. People feared that hybrids would infect their food with germs and disease and some stores even banned hybrids from being anywhere near the store. 

Chen just kept his mind on Kris and showing the human how helpful he was. His goal was to redeem himself and prove that he was worthy of a collar. No other human mattered.

“Are we still getting bacon, hyung?” The beagle asked.

“Of course. Anything my, puppy wants.” Kris said, patting Chen with those amazingly comforting hands. The boy wanted to relish in his owner’s touch, but he felt guilty thinking over his statement. It was harmless on its own, but Chen just kept thinking about how it made him seem so selfish. He didn’t deserve anything. 

“Um, well, I don’t really need it, actually.” The dog said nervously. “Maybe we could just get some fish for Tao.”

“We can get both of those and more Chen. We all eat a lot anyway.”

“You don’t eat that much, hyung.” Both males laughed. They knew it was true.

“Not that that stops you guys from feeding me all the time.” Kris replied, chuckling. Chen sighed.

“I don’t feed you. The others do. I just feed myself.” The pup muttered to himself. Fortunately his owner was more preoccupied with loading their cart with meat and didn’t hear the dog hybrid’s statement. He thanked the butcher for the meat before turning back to Chen.

“Okay, next we’ll get the snacks.” Kris said. Chen nodded and followed along.

“Are we getting treats and human snacks, hyung?” The puppy asked.

“Just human snacks here, bud. I get all of your treats specifically from a hybrid care shop.” The human replied. Chen simply nodded in response. He wasn’t worrying about his own desires for a change. He just stuck close to Kris, trying to be of as much help as possible. He took over pushing the basket and gathered all of the items Kris wanted in the snack aisle.

“Which ones are you getting, pup?” Kris asked.

“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’ll just eat whatever the others get.” Chen said, ignoring the delicious snacks that he tended to ask for.

“But what about that cheese popcorn you like so much? And those animal crackers you’re always asking for?”

“Always asking for. He knows that all I do is beg and take.” The hybrid thought to himself sadly.

“That’s okay hyung. I don’t need those snacks.” The beagle tried to be as convincing as possible. Unfortunately, Kris didn’t seem to be buying it.

“You’re acting a bit weird Chen...is there something you’re not telling me?” the man asked, eyebrow raised.

“Me, weird? Nah, I’m fine, hyung.” The dog laughed, but for some reason something seemed off about it. It didn’t sound genuine. Chen tried to walk past Kris to look for some more items, but the man stopped him and pulled him back. He spun the tan beagle around to face him.

“Jongdae.” The tall man said with stern eyes. Chen gulped. Kris was serious. He knew that something was bothering him. But Chen couldn’t say it. Having a collar that he didn’t deserve was one thing, but admitting it to Kris would be even more humiliating.

“I’m fine, hyung.” The dog replied nervously. Kris knew that he was lying, but he didn’t want to make the hybrid any more upset than he already clearly was. They’d settle it once they finished their shopping. Kris released his hold on Chen and simply took back to shopping. But not before grabbing Chen’s favorite snacks and tossing them in the cart before the pup could even protest.

“Let’s go.” Kris’s words had no emotion to them. 

'Crap. Now look what you’ve done. He thinks you’re a spoiled brat who can’t live without some simple chips. Why couldn’t you just be a good dog like Chanyeol and Baekhyun? It’s not like Kris asks anything of you anyway. What a worthless, ungrateful, pathetic mutt.' Chen sighed at the depressing thoughts from his mind. He knew that deep down, Kris could never feel that way about him; about any of his beloved hybrids. But the beagle couldn’t believe that Kris wasn’t annoyed with him in some way. He had to dislike the fact that Chen did little to no housework, yet was always the first to ask for food or cuddles. No human, not even one as kind as Kris, could ever be okay with that. 

It was that damned cat DNA. That was the reason Chen acted like a spoiled brat all the time. Chen loved both of his parents, but despised his mixed genes. He hated how he looked like a dog, but tended to act more like a cat. It was so annoying having to deal with two conflicting sets of instincts. It just gave the dog even more problems to deal with.

Chen sighed again. The entire point of going shopping with Kris was to possibly make himself feel better, but now he felt worse than he’d felt that entire day. It also didn’t help that Kris was also now upset. Right now, Chen just wished he were at home. Maybe he could have tried doing house chores instead. The hybrid was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost missed a certain aisle.

“Vegetables.” The dog mumbled.

“What?” Kris questioned, coming to a halt.

“We need to get vegetables, hyung.” Everyone in the house knew how much Kris disliked vegetables. They hybrids, being part carnivore, didn’t necessarily need them in their diet, thought they would munch on some from time to time. Kris on the other hand did need the leafy greens, but just couldn’t stand eating them. All of the hybrids thought it was sort of cute. The way they’d have to feed Kris his veggies like a child, the tall man pouting and whining the entire time. It was hilarious to see their giant owner in such a way.

“Fine.” Kris pouted, begrudgingly walking into the vegetable aisle. Chen chuckled as he pushed the basket behind his owner. He was still upset, but seeing Kris making such disgusted, silly faces while loading the basket with carrots and broccoli certainly brightened the atmosphere. After they finished gathering the vegetables, they grabbed a few extra necessities like milk, eggs, bottled water. Once their basket could no longer carry anything else, the duo made their way to the checkout line.

Chen felt a bit uncomfortable as they were waiting to pay. There were a lot of humans in line and not a single hybrid in sight. He could definitely feel the ugly looks coming his way. Kris seemed not to notice as he was currently fiddling with his phone as he waited. Fortunately, it wouldn’t be long until their turn.

Once the customer in front of them had gotten all of their stuff loaded up, Kris and Chen began putting their food on the belt. 

“I’ll get it hyung. You just go pay.” Chen said, a small smile on his face. Kris paused for a second, but figured that since he’d already gotten the heavier stuff out first that it should have been fine to let Chen handle the rest. 

“Kay.” Kris said as he walked over to the cashier. 

“How are you doing today?” the young man asked.

“Nice, thanks.” The blond responded.

“You sure have a lot of stuff.” The cashier chuckled.

“Well, I have a lot of mouths to feed at home. Thankfully I had some help today.” Kris looked fondly at Chen who was nearly finished unloading everything.

“Really? Do you mean… what the…? Wait a minute, I know that mutt.” The cashier suddenly said, eyes locked on Chen. The beagle shuddered at the man’s words and verbally whined when he actually looked at him. It was a worker he knew all too well. How could he forget a man who seemed to want nothing other than to make his life miserable. 

Chen wasn’t sure if the man loathed hybrids or was just a rude person, but every day he lived in front of that store, he’d see the employee several times. And each time, the man had a different way of taunting the beagle. Whether it was throwing stuff at him, ramming a large group of baskets at him, or just berating him, that man did anything he could to make Chen feel even worse about himself. The beagle tried to just ignore him, but just like everyone, he had breaking points. The worst days were when the man actually managed to draw tears from his eyes.

“Excuse me?” Kris asked, not liking the man’s terminology. 

“Yeah, I know that mutt. He used to sit outside this store for like a year after his old owners ditched him. Probably for being too ugly.” The man spoke as if there was no issue screaming out Chen’s personal life to the public. Kris on the other hand visibly tensed up. He had completely forgotten that this was the very store where Chanyeol and Baekhyun had found Chen almost 2 years ago. No wonder the boy was acting so oddly.

“Aw man, don’t tell me someone sold you this mutt? Dude you got ripped off.” The man continued his insults as he scanned Kris’s items.

“Chen is my dog hybrid and I took him in.” Kris said angrily. He gestured to Chen to come closer to him, which the dog obediently did. He brought along the basket so that he could start loading up the bagged items. Once the dog was up closer, the man got a good view of the boy’s neck.

“Ha, hey dude, where’d you steal that collar from?” the man asked. Chen whined again. He felt like he was frozen and could barely find any words in his throat. His hand made its way to the collar and latched on, unable to move.

“What are you saying?!” Kris demanded. “I bought Chen his collar.”

“You’re kidding right? That thing? You bought him a collar? For what? What does he do?”

“What do you mean what does he do?”

“I mean, what does he do that you bought him a collar. Does he do laundry? Wash dishes? Cook? Doesn’t look like much of a chef to me.”

“He doesn’t do anything.” Kris argued. He was so upset that he missed the way Chen flinched. The hybrid swallowed the whimper that had risen in his throat and simply looked away.

“Wait, what?! He doesn’t do anything? So why would you waste your money on that mongrel?”

“Stop talking about him like he doesn’t have feelings! I bought him a collar because he’s my dog hybrid!” Kris was getting furious now. If he’d already payed for his stuff he would have stormed out of the store right now. Unfortunately, the man seemed to find Kris’s anger even more amusing and continued with his berating.

“Seriously? You just got him a collar for no reason. That dirty mutt?” The man laughed. Kris was literally on the edge.

“Listen, how about you just bag my stuff and be quiet.” 

“Yeah, yeah whatever.” The man said, still eyeing Chen. “Your total is 240,000 won.” Kris immediately took out his card and swiped it. He was seething on the inside. He didn’t want to say much more in fear that he’d say something he’d end up regretting. Plus he didn’t want to make Chen any more embarrassed.

“Thanks.” Kris said, not a hint of happiness in his voice.

“Wait. Dude, come here.” The cashier suddenly whispered. Kris eyed the man suspiciously, not want to interact with him any further. The man gestured for Kris to come closer, which the blond reluctantly did. Chen was nervous, but simply finished loading up their groceries in the cart.

“What?” Kris asked angrily.

“I really just can’t believe that you got that guy a collar for nothing.”

“Well, I already told you that I did.” Kris fumed. The man looked at Chen for a minute and then back at Kris.

“C’mon man, honestly. I mean, he doesn’t really look like it, but…is he just…is he really good in bed or something?” 

And Kris snapped.

 

Despite having lived as a stray for nearly a year, the past few minutes were probably the longest of Chen’s entire life. The beagle wasn’t sure what the cashier called his owner to him for. He simply kept filling of the basket so that they could leave once the conversation finished. The next thing he knew, however, Kris had punched the man in the face, causing him to fly backwards and bang his head against a pole behind him. Security was called soon after. After about 15 minutes of screaming from customers and more swearing from Kris than Chen had ever heard before, the duo was allowed to leave with their groceries and no major charges.

The two were currently sitting in the car in a parking lot outside of a nearby gas station. Kris needed to calm himself down, but didn’t want to stay around that supermarket any longer. The blond man leaned his chair back and closed his eyes, taking long, deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself.

Chen on the other hand was in tears. Not only because of the anger his owner was feeling and the harassment from the cashier, but also because what the man said was true. And what Kris said was true. Chen did nothing around the house. He didn’t deserve a collar. He was just a worthless mutt. 

'‘I’m the worst dog ever. And I don’t deserve this.’ Chen thought as he removed his collar.'

The dog could no longer contain his sadness and spilled his tears out. He was whimpering and yowling and shaking like crazy. Despite the rage clouding his senses, Kris noticed the change in his hybrid and instantly sat up, forgetting all about his earlier anger.

“Chen, don’t let what that bastard said upset you.” Kris said, pulling the younger towards him. Chen pulled back however. It was then that the man noticed that Chen was holding his collar in his hand. “Chen, why did you take off your collar?”

“Because…I don’t deserve it.” The dog whined.

“Chen, that man was…was…forget about everything he said. None of it was true. You do deserve your collar.”

“No I don’t hyung!” Chen shouted. “I don’t do anything around the house. I don’t do laundry or wash dishes or cook or anything! I’m too lazy to go shopping for food that I ask for and make everyone do everything for me! I’m worthless. I’m the worst dog anyone could ever get stuck with.” The dog wiped at his eyes and nose where tears and mucus had been pouring during his entire emotional release.

Kris was quiet for a moment. He sighed to himself before picking up Chen’s collar. He fastened it back around the pup’s neck once Chen had settled down.

“Hyung…” Chen began, but Kris grabbed him by the shoulders.

“Jongdae, when have I ever told you I was upset by you not doing work around the house?”

“Hyung, sniff, I…”

“Answer me.” The man said sternly.

“Never, hyung.”

“I told you and the others from the beginning that I didn’t expect you to do housework for me. I never wanted and still don’t want you guys to do housework for me.” The man’s tone became calmer as he continued. “Yes, Chanyeol does it and the others do because it makes them happy. That’s the only reason I still let them do stuff like that. Because they like it.”

“But hyung, I still…I don’t do anything. And after all you’ve done for me…”

“That’s just not the kind of dog you are. You’re just a little different.” Both Chen and Kris were fully aware of what Kris was referring to. At that moment, Chen once again began hating his feline genes. But Kris continued. “And I don’t care that you don’t like doing chores. I don’t need you to do chores to try to ‘prove’ how grateful you are. I know you’re grateful.”

Chen sniffled quietly, but didn’t take his eyes off of his owner.

“Every time I see your eyes light up and your tail wagging when you’re playing with the others, I know that you’re grateful to have a home and playmates. Every time you jump on the couch to cuddle me after work, I know that you’re grateful to have an owner. You don’t need to ‘do’ anything to show that to me Dae.”

“Really, hyung?”

“Yes. I love you just the way you are.” The man’s rare gummy smile made its appearance once again. “And you do deserve your collar. You’re a great dog and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Chen leaned over and buried his face in Kris’s chest, letting more tears spill. He wrapped his arms around his owner and poured out everything he had in him.

“I love you, hyung. I love you so much.”

"I love you too, my good little puppy." Kris said, pressing a kiss to he beagle's temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why do I always torture Chen? He's just too cute :3 I sort of wish this chapter was a bit longer, but oh well :P
> 
> Thanks to everyone for reading. Hope you all enjoyed :)


	5. Bus Driver Blues: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you read Three Beagles and a Kitty, you might remember a small tidbit I mentioned about D.O and his money struggles. So this chapter is going to be focusing on that. And I just want to mention so that that there's no confusion, that this chapter takes place between the 3rd and 5th chapters of the original story.
> 
> And as you can see, it's going to be a two parter. Hope everyone enjoys :)

D.O. stepped off of the bus into the chilling parking lot. It was nearly eight o’ clock and the man was exhausted, starving, and just plain miserable. It had been another long shift today and the short male just wanted nothing other than to go home and have a nice relaxing meal with his hybrid.

It was early December and the cold weather had already blown in. People were busily readying themselves for the Christmas holiday and thus the number of bus travelers was multiplying by the day. D.O. loved driving his hybrid bus around, helping the creatures get to their desired location safe and sound, but with the large amount of people out and about, there were less hybrids traveling and a greater need for human transport. As such, D.O.’s boss had been having him drive human excusive buses in the past few weeks in addition to his hybrid bus. The young man was tired as hell with all of the extra work, but appreciated the extra money. After all, he certainly needed it.

Times were rough for the young fellow. Living on his own with a low paying job meant that the man barely had time to enjoy life normally. Add in a young puppy hybrid and D.O. was often scrapping for cash. He hated how he wasn’t able to provide Kai with the life he thought the toy poodle deserved. He couldn’t even afford a place for the boy to sleep. The hybrid claimed that he didn’t mind sleeping at the foot of D.O.’s bed, but the man still didn’t like that he didn’t have enough funds to provide the basic necessities for the boy. And now at Christmas time with funds being low and workers getting laid off, D.O. was becoming ever more nervous with his situation. If he got to the point where he lost his job and couldn’t care for Kai, he didn’t know what he’d do. 

Now, D.O. was blessed to have a set of great friends. Kris and Suho both worked under the latter’s family company and were very well off financially. Unfortunately, though D.O. was a kind and humble man, he was also very prideful and the last thing he wanted was for his ‘rich’ friends to give him handouts. Kris, and to a larger extent Suho, was having none of that though. The instant he detected that their friend seemed to be having issues, he and the others agreed to help the man as much as they could.

Knowing that D.O. couldn’t afford many toys for the pup, Kris would let Kai stay over at his house to play with his beagles and hang out. Xiumin would invite both boys to his house for meals, allowing D.O. to save more of his food. And Suho, well he did everything. He’d bring over well cooked meals for the duo, drive D.O. to work, let Kai play at his large house with Lay and Sehun all day, allow the men to stay the night, whatever they needed Suho would do it.

But D.O. just couldn’t stand it. He was already the youngest of the hybrid owner quartet; having to be treated like their child just annoyed him even further. And thus, he started avoiding speaking of his issues with his friends. If they ever asked him if he needed any help, he’d just say he was fine and that he didn’t need anything. Not that any of it mattered, since none of them believed him. They knew that he just didn’t want to seem helpless or needy, not that they’d ever think of him that way anyway. Regardless, they let the boy do what he wanted and were always ready and waiting to help him. 

D.O. sighed as he pulled unto his driveway. He could already see the silhouette of a hybrid standing in the window. At least his seeing his puppy would make everything better. As soon as the young man opened the door, he was met with a face full of toy poodle.

“Hyung, you’re home!” the boy barked, licking his owner vigorously.

“Yes, I’m home.” D.O. said as he ruffled the boy’s hair. “What did you eat for diner?” At that question, the dog looked at the ground and let out a soft whine.

“I wanted to wait for you.” The pup said shyly. And D.O. frowned.

“I told you that you didn’t’ need to do that.”

“I know hyung, but I wanted to eat together. We haven’t eaten together in a while.” The dog continued to avoid his owner’s eyes. He didn’t want to see his hyung upset at him. D.O. sighed. He knew the boy meant well, but he didn’t want Kai starving himself just for him. 

“I know, Kai. I know.” D.O. locked the door and made his way into the kitchen. Kai sat down at the table and waited for his owner to prepare their plates. Their dinner that night was of some Lo Mein that Suho had brought over a few days ago.

'You know Lay, he always makes too much. And he knows how much Kai loves his cooking, so we just had to bring some over.'

That’s what the man had said when he delivered the dish two days prior, but D.O. knew that he wasn’t being 100% truthful. Whether the rabbit hybrid intentionally cooked the food for the duo or his owner asked him to, it was obvious that he’d planned to bring that food to them.

“Alright, come and get it puppy.” D.O. cooed as he set the plates on the countertop. The boys had been eating their dinners at the counter rather than the table the past few weeks. They weren’t sure how it happened, it just became a habit. They enjoyed it though. D.O. stoking Kai’s fluffy black hair as he ate, and Kai feeding his hyung in between feeding himself. It was a nice calming moment that eased D.O.’s spirt after a long hard day at work. After their meal, the duo headed to the bathroom for a long, relaxing shower together and immediately headed to bed afterwards. The dog hybrid cuddled up in his typical spot at the foot of D.O.’s bed. His owner leaned down and placed a kiss on his puppy’s head before laying down himself.

“Night Nini. Love you.”

“I love you too hyung.” Kai whispered, licking his owner’s hand. D.O. smiled as he climbed under the covers. He noticed Kai shivering a bit and heck; he too was feeling a chill. It was getting colder out which meant it was colder in. Sure D.O. had a heater, but it was old and barely produced any decent heat to keep the boys warm. The man knew tomorrow would be another rough day, but he needed to keep working. He needed to save up money to buy a new heating system so Kai wouldn’t be freezing while he was at home alone during the day nor sleeping at night. D.O. sighed one last time before going to sleep.

'Just gotta make sure Kai is okay. As long as he’s taken care of, that’s all that matters.'

 

“I hope things get better for you at work Soo.” Xiumin said as he stirred a pot of soup.

“Me too, hyung.” D.O. sighed sadly. He took up a spoonful of food and chewed slowly.

“At least you’re getting off early tonight.”

“Mmmm.” Was the only response D.O. gave.

“Just remember that you can always come over and talk if you need anything.” The older man said.

“Thanks, but I’m fine, hyung. It’s Kai I worry about.” The short man glanced in the next room where his puppy was eating with Luhan. The toy poodle was lying belly up on the deer’s lap as the herbivore fed him noodles. Xiumin nodded. He could only imagine the fear that must have went through D.O.’s mind daily. The possibilities of not having enough food or money to care for his puppy were ever approaching and had to be causing the young man plenty of stress. Xiumin put his hand over his dongsaeng’s.

“Soo, I know how you feel. I was there once. Heck, sometimes I still have struggles with money. But if you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. We’ll all help anyway we can.” Xiumin whispered.

“I know, hyung. Thank you.” D.O. smiled, but inside he was angry. He’d already received 3 handouts from friends that week and to top it off, Suho would be dropping him off to work that day. All the man wanted was to be able to take care of himself, and more importantly, take care of Kai. “We should probably be going now.”

“Already? You have a few more hours until work.” Surprise was evident in the blond man’s tone.

“Yeah, but…I just wanna get everything settled at home before work.” D.O. said quietly.

“Okay. I’ll see you later, then.” Xiumin gave his friend a quick hug before handing him a wrapped bag. The younger male knew there was food in it.

“We’ll be fine, hyung.” D.O. smiled. 

“Take it…for Kai.” Xiumin said, knowing the boy was more concerned about his hybrid than himself. He’d put plenty of food in there for both of them, but still knew that D.O. would state that he was fine.

“Thank you.”

 

The car ride home was a typical one. Kai talked about the movie he watched on TV with Luhan and spoke of how wonderful the food was.

“And then there was this part where the guy and the girl were standing under an umbrella in the rain.” The pup’s tail was thumping enthusiastically as he spoke.

“Yeah.” 

“And then they kissed. The guy looked so handsome.” 

“Mmm Hmm.”

“I think it was called Pure Love. You have to watch it hyung.”

“Maybe I’ll check it out sometime.” D.O. said, though his mind was unfortunately on other things. How could he think about a movie when he’d be leaving his puppy alone for over six hours, again.

On D.O.’s original shift where he only drove the hybrid bus, he worked about 4 hours every day. Now that he was driving 2 buses, he worked fewer days, but much longer hours. This meant that Kai was seeing the man less and less at night, since usually after work he’d be too tired to stay up and hang with him like usual. D.O. hated leaving such a young pup at home by himself in that small, freezing house. Sure Kai was a pretty independent puppy, but all dog hybrids get bored of being by themselves and get that longing for companionship. In fact, in the cases where D.O. would actually accept assistance from his friends, it would only be to ask for a playmate for Kai. The others were happy to allow their hybrids to visit D.O.’s house in the day to play with Kai, or even let the puppy stay with them during D.O.’s shift. On the days where D.O. only drove his hybrid bus, he was happy to bring Kai along with him unless the boy felt like relaxing at home, but recently, those opportunities were far and few between.

The boys arrived home about an hour and a half before he had to leave for work. D.O. immediately went to kitchen to put away the food Xiumin had given them. 

“If you get hungry, please eat dinner Jongie.” D.O. said. 

“I will hyung, but I don’t mind waiting. I’m usually not hungry.” The hybrid insisted. D.O. could see right through his puppy though. He knew that Kai wasn’t just skipping dinner because he wanted them to eat together. He was worried about eating too much and them running out of food. After all, extra food around the house was also becoming a bit scarce. It was only last week that D.O. woke up on morning to see that they had literally no breakfast foods left in the fridge. He was so shocked that he ran down to the store to buy some eggs, bread, and rice before Kai woke up, just so he wouldn’t freak out. A few days ago, he noticed that the snack pantry was totally empty. If it wasn’t for his friends bringing over so many meals as gifts, D.O. honestly wasn’t sure how much food, if any, he’d have in his house right now.

“Okay, but if you do get hungry, please, please eat something.”

“Yes, Soo hyung.” Kai responded quietly. He was staring at the ground, obviously upset. D.O. moved in and wrapped his arms around the pup’s body. Kai gently nuzzled his head on top of his shorter owner’s head. They remained in that position for about 5 minutes, just taking comfort in each other’s embrace. Eventually they moved to the couch where they quietly sat and watched some TV. As Kai was enjoying the show and talking all about what was going on in the show, D.O. was just glad that he had a TV for Kai to watch. Having little food, heat, and time with his owner was already taxing on the pup. If he had no way to entertain himself, D.O. would have thought himself the worst owner on the planet.

Time flew by quickly, and before the duo knew it, it was time for D.O. to head off to work. The sound of Suho’s distinctive minivan honking alerted the both of them, and Kai pouted once his owner stood up to leave, but gave him a happy goodbye kiss before sending him off. 

“Have fun Kai. I’ll be home early tonight, don’t forget.” D.O. said with a smile.

“Yes hyung. I’ll be waiting.” The hybrid barked, his tail wagging happily.

“Love you.”

“Love you too hyung.” Kai smiled.

 

“Thank you riding with us, ma’am.” D.O. said to a young woman stepping off of the bus.

“Thank you for the amazing service.” The lady replied. D.O. smiled happily as the door closed. He grabbed a note pad and marker off of his dashboard and began making several marks.

“And with that, I’ve only got one more round before I can head back home.” The man said to himself. He was just about to pull off before he felt vibrations in his pocket. His work phone was ringing and D.O. gulped when he saw that it was his boss.

'Oh my gosh..please don’t let it be something bad.'

Trying to push the trepidation out of his mind, D.O. answered the phone.

“Hello, sir.” Nervousness coursed throughout the boy’s voice.

“Kyungsoo, where are you?” a gruff voice asked.

“I’m about to start my second to last round, sir.” 

“Listen, hate to do this to you, but I’m gonna need you to work overtime today.” the man said. D.O. gasped out loud upon hearing his boss’s words.

“What?! But sir, I…”

“I’m sorry Kyungsoo, but the employee who usually drives after you literally just had an accident and there’s no way we can get someone else to finish for today.”

“Finish? You mean, for the rest of the night?”

“I’m afraid so.”

But, sir…I have to…”

“I don’t have time to keep talking, Kyungsoo. You’re gonna get paid your overtime. I have to go now.” The quiet beeps signaling that the call had ended seemed to put D.O. in a trance. It was almost as if time had stopped. Just five minutes ago, he was thinking about how he’d be able to see Kai in about an hour. Now he was going to be stuck driving for the entire rest of the night. He could barely even formulate thoughts at that moment, but he knew one thing. He had to call Kai. He had to alert the puppy that he’d be late so he wouldn’t be confused or worried. Quickly, the man began dialing his house phone.

“C’mon, Jongie. Pick up. Pick up.” The man quietly whispered to himself. The phone rang about 6 times, but there was no answer. “Why won’t he pick up? He has to be able to hear it.” D.O. attempted a few more calls before he realized what was going on.

“Crap! I’m such an idiot.” The short man smacked the top of his head a way to scold himself. With money being tight and at the risk of not wanting to unnecessarily run up any more bills, D.O. had instructed his puppy to not answer the house phone when he was home alone. Usually any calls to his house phone were random tax collectors or surveys, and thus, the man tended to ignore them. He never would have anticipated a moment where he’d had to call his puppy during work.

Now D.O. was stuck. He had no way to contact his puppy to tell him what was going on, and he had to get back on the road, now. He couldn’t bear the thought of Kai sitting at home by himself for hours thinking something happened to him. D.O. was on the edge of tearing up. He had no one he could currently turn to. He could try one of his friends, but chances are that they were all working too. Plus, D.O. really wasn’t in the mood to be ‘saved’ by one of his friends once again. He didn’t want to keep relying on them like this.

'This isn’t about you, it’s about Kai.'

D.O. shivered at the voice in his head. It was right. Kai’s wellbeing was more important than his own pride. 

“I’ve gotta do it.” And with that, the man made one last phone call.

 

Kai’s tail thumped happily against the sofa as Lay fed him another lettuce wrap of meat. Sehun rolled his eyes and pouted as he shoved his own wrap in his mouth.

“Kai is such a good puppy.” Lay cooed, patting the toy poodle on the head. Kai responded by nuzzling into the rabbit hybrid’s face. Sehun pretended to gag.

“Stop being so gross.” The cat hissed.

“He’s just jealous.” Kai huffed, rubbing himself on Lay’s body. He was sitting on the older boy’s lap, thoroughly enjoying the attention he was getting. Sehun rolled his eyes again.

“As if. I’ve been wanting some space to myself forever.” The cat retorted.

“Which is why you’re still glued onto Lay, right?” The pup chuckled. Sehun was currently curled on Lay’s right side despite the fact that there was plenty of free space further down the couch.

“Sehunnie likes cuddling.” Lay said, brushing his hand across the Ragdoll’s hair.

“No I don’t.” the kitten pouted, still not making any attempt to move. But the others only responded with giggles.

At that moment, Suho walked into the kitchen. 

“Are you guys okay in here?” The eldest man asked.

“Yes, hyung.” All hybrids answered in unison.

“D.O. just called, Kai. He said he’s on the way home.”

“Oh boy, finally!” the puppy yipped, his tail wagging even faster. The pup was surprised when Suho and his gang had arrived at his house a few hours ago. They explained to him that it was his owner who had tried to call him to inform him that he’d be late due to issues at his job. At first the puppy was disappointed, but soon got over it after being able to spend time with his hybrid friends. Lay had taken on his typical role of babying the young pup as soon as he’d arrived and spent the past few hours feeding the boy, grooming him, and peppering kisses on his face as they cuddled. Sehun, ever the tsundere, had no desires let his housemate give a dog more attention than him, and followed the duo around, constantly whining to Lay to give him the same treatment. Suho remained in the kitchen the entire time, cooking for the boys, mainly wanting to ensure that Kai was well taken care of. 

After about 20 minutes, the sound of keys jingling in the door caught everyone’s attention.

“It’s Soo! He’s home!” Kai barked. The hybrid jumped out of Lay’s lap, just in time to collide with his owner and give him a big bear hug.

“Hey there, bud. Did you have fun?” D.O. asked, a small grin on his face.

“Yeah, I had a lot of fun with Lay hyung.” The puppy barked happily.

“That’s nice.” Lay also walked over to give D.O. a friendly hug.

“Welcome home, Soo~”

“Thanks, Xing.”

“Glad to see you made it home safe.” Suho said as he entered the living room.

“Thanks so much for coming over, hyung. I owe you big time.” D.O. said, giving his friend a hug in thanks.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Soo. You know I’m always happy to help out.” The older man said. 

“Well, I’d still like to repay you with something.” D.O. insisted. If he was going to receive handouts from his friends, he at least wanted to be able to give back something to them.

“The knowledge that the both of you are taken care of is all that I need.” Suho said, patting his friend on the shoulder. “C’mon, guys. We best be heading home.” The man said to his duo, grabbing his keys.

“Okay, hyung.” Lay said, slugging Sehun on his hip.

“Aish, I know how to walk, hyung.” The cat hissed, yet wrapped his arms around the bunny’s neck all the same. 

“Bye bye guys.” Kai gave his friends one last goodbye lick as they walked out the door.

“Thanks again, hyung.” D.O. whispered as Suho exited.

“Just make sure you get some dinner and a good night’s rest.” The older man winked before walking away. The boys waved as they saw Suho and the others off. It was when Suho’s minivan went out of sight that D.O.’s stomach growled.

“Are you hungry, hyung? Because Suho made a lot of food.” Kai barked. Before D.O. could even answer, the puppy had already dragged his owner in the kitchen. He noticed that there were a lot of washed dishes that definitely hadn’t been there before he left. When Kai opened the fridge, he understood why.

“Woah, did Suho cook you guys a full course meal?” The short man exclaimed. Inside his refrigerator, which just earlier that day only had about 3 or so containers of leftovers from friends, was now stuffed with about 6 more dishes. He saw chicken, noodles, rice, sandwiches, and more things that looked like they took quite a while to make.

“He was cooking in here the entire time.” Kai explained. “He said he always gets carried away.” The puppy chuckled as he took out one of the chicken platters, Suho had left. D.O. slowly closed the fridge and followed behind his pup, fully aware of what their hyung had done. He intentionally made all of that food, knowing that they didn’t have that much. And a lot of it, if not all of it, was made with things he didn’t have at the house, meaning Suho brought along a bunch of food with him from his own fridge and cooked it. 

D.O. was almost too hungry to even feel upset. Honestly, he should have been used to it by now. But he just couldn’t help it. He couldn’t help feeling like he was inferior to the other pet owners. Everyone else had a good job, made plenty of money to support themselves and their hybrids, and didn’t have to rely on anyone, but themselves. And here he was, with a semi-decent job that only payed enough to handle some of the basic human needs, and was constantly relying on assistance from his friends. At this point, he was just glad that they hadn’t given him any money. He could never accept that. 

“How was work, hyung?” Kai asked, offering his owner some food. D.O. was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t even noticed the chopsticks being held in front of him.

“It would have been better if I actually got off when I was supposed to.” The man muttered, chewing slowly.

“It’s alright hyung.” Kai insisted cheerily. “At least you’re off tomorrow.” The puppy offered his owner some more chicken. D.O. was so upset about what had happened earlier than he completely forgot about his day off the next day. His grimace slowly morphed into a smile.

“You’re right, Kai.” D.O. said ruffling his puppy’s fur. “Here, you eat some too.” D.O. took the chopsticks and fed the hybrid some chicken. Even though he’d already eaten and probably wasn’t hungry, Kai would never deny chicken. It was the boy’s favorite food and D.O. loved looking at the happy expression on the young boy’s face and rapidly wagging tail whenever he ate it.

“What should we do tomorrow?” Kai asked.

“Whatever you want, Jongie.”

“Really?”

“Sure. We’ll do whatever you want. If you want to go somewhere, just name it.” D.O. said happily, holding up some more food for the puppy.

“Can we just stay home?” the hybrid shyly asked.

“You just wanna stay here? Really?” 

“I just want to spend time with you. You work so much and we haven’t hung out just the 2 of us in forever. We don’t need to go anywhere.” Kai began nuzzling his head into his shorter owner. D.O. smiled and patted his puppy’s back. Kai was right. They hadn’t had much time to each other since the month started. And as long as Kai was happy, D.O. didn’t really care what they did.

“If that’s what you want, we can just stay here.” D.O. said, scratching his hybrid behind the ears. 

“Thank you, hyung.”

 

The next morning, D.O. woke up and prepared a nice breakfast for Kai. Some fresh, homemade French toast and some scrambled eggs. Nothing too fancy, but it was better than the rushed toast and slice of bacon that he’d been having to resort to due to having to leave for work so early. Kai never minded. He adored his hyung’s cooking and would eat anything the man prepared him. But he certainly loved the meals he took time to prepare more than anything.

“This is great, hyung.” The toy poodle said, chewing the French toast. Syrup trickled down his chin and neck as the boy shoved piece after piece in his mouth. D.O. chuckled as he grabbed a towel to wipe the boy’s face.

“I’m just glad I could make you a decent meal.”

“I love anything you make for me, hyung.” Kai said.

“I know, but I like being able to actually cook for you.” D.O. replied. “Like a good owner.” The man muttered the last part. He was still feeling pretty depressed. He still hadn’t made enough money to buy a new heater. It was only getting colder by the day and he needed to put some warmth in the house.

“I’m finished, hyung.” Kai sang, holding up his plate. He hadn’t noticed that his owner’s attention had faltered slightly. “Hyung?”

“Hm? Oh, good boy.” D.O. said, taking the plate and dropping it into the sink. “Wanna watch TV now?” Kai was slightly confused as to why D.O. seemed so lost in thought a moment ago, but he was more concerned about spending time with the man. He nodded his head affirmatively. 

The duo relaxed and simply watched TV for a while, Kai using D.O.’s lap as a pillow. It was mostly random dramas that Kai tended to watch during the day. D.O. wasn’t really paying attention to them. He just listened to his puppy endlessly talk about the shows while he patted the dog’s fluffy black fur. The young man wasn’t really a TV person, but if it entertained Kai, he was glad to just listen to the hybrid’s stories of his favorite shows. 

Everything was going well until D.O.’s work phone began to ring. Kai’s ears instantly perked up to the ringtone.

'That can’t be good.” The man thought instantly.' 

D.O. hesitantly answered his phone.

“Hello?”

“Kyungsoo? Where are you now?” came his boss’s gruff voice. 

“I’m…at my house, sir.”

“Well, I hate to bother you on your day off, but could you come into work today? And also every other day this week?” The man asked nonchalantly. D.O. on the other hand was flabbergasted. He nearly dropped the phone, but he didn’t want Kai to think anything was wrong. 

“What?! Why?!” D.O. exclaimed.

“Listen Soo, you know there’ve been a lot of issues lately. Well, I just had to lay off another worker and I need someone to fill in their spot.” The man explained. “And I know you could use some extra money…”

“But sir, I…” D.O. could hardly think properly. Sure he needed the extra cash, but today was his day to spend with Kai. Just the two of them. And not to mention the other free days he’d been given for that week.

“And I’m sure you know that I could have easily chosen someone else to let go.” The man said in a quite eerie tone. 

D.O. was astonished. Was his boss suggesting that he was a contender for losing his job? And he was supposedly supposed to be grateful for not being laid off by just stopping everything and going to work? Is that what was happening?

“Sir, I appreciate what you’re saying but…my hybrid...”

“Hm?” the man’s tone had become less creepy, as if he was actually interested in what his employee was going to say. D.O. actually remained quiet for a minute. If he worked more days, he’d have more money to properly take care of Kai. But at the same time, they’d be spending less and less time together. He looked to the puppy that still laying in his lap. His head was tilted sideways; obviously confused as to why this phone call was making his owner upset. 

'I don’t want to keep leaving him like this, but…what I kind of owner would I be if I sacrificed getting more money which I can use to better take care of him? Just so we can hang out at home? I already lost one hybrid because I couldn’t take care of him…'

D.O. thought back to Tao. D.O. had first met Tao standing outside of a jewelry shop with a broom in hand, being harshly reprimanded by a man, most likely the owner, for something. D.O. didn’t know or care, but he was furious with how the kitten was being treated. The short man approached the duo and asked why the kitten was being yelled at. After a stream of harsh insults and pathetic complaints that made D.O. really want to punch that man in the face, he asked if he could take Tao since the other guy clearly didn’t care about him. The shop owner charged him about 30,000 won, since of course he wasn’t going to just give up his worker for free, but D.O. cared not about the money at that moment. All he wanted was to get the teary eyed kitten home for a home cooked meal and a warm place to sleep.

“It’s okay. You’re safe now. I’ll take care of you.” D.O. said.

But he didn’t. He couldn’t. He didn’t have enough money to care for two hybrids at the time. And because of that he was forced to send Tao away. He couldn’t be more grateful to Kris for taking him in when he already had 3 beagle hybrids to care for. But that moment just made him feel like the worst hybrid owner on the planet. He failed to care for Tao after he’d taken him in and he couldn’t let that happen again with Kai. He simply wouldn’t be able to live with himself.

“I…I’ll be right over sir.”

“Hyung?” The puppy finally spoke up with his head tilted at his owner. 

“Um, I have to go Kai.” The human sighed sadly.

“What? But why? It was…we were supposed to…it was our day…” Kai started whining. The toy poodle rarely ever whined like most other dogs. He was considered quite mature for a puppy hybrid. It was only when he was really upset that he’d do such a thing.

“I…I know Jongie, but my boss.” D.O. found it hard to continue. He knew how much he was breaking the boy’s heart right now. And heck, even he was quite upset himself. Both he and his hybrid had been looking forward to this day. Of course this was saddening for both. “Kai, my boss is offering me something so that we’ll have a lot more money. I’ll be able to buy that new heater!” he smiled, trying to brighten his pup’s spirit.

“I don’t care about money and a heater! We were supposed to be together today, hyung!” the pup countered angrily. 

“I know, and I want to spend time with you too. But I need to take care of you first and foremost. That’s what’s most important.” D.O. said. His voice was soft, but his tone was very firm. “I’m coming right over sir.” He said into the phone right before hanging it up. 

The short man looked at his hybrid’s face and saw nothing except misery. He literally looked like his heart had been shattered.

“Hyung…” the hybrid nearly whimpered.

“I’m so sorry Kai.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that after the sad Chen chapter, I follow up with a sad D.O. chapter, but don't worry becuase I have some fluffy stuff prepared for later. Unfortunately, it'll have to wait until after Part 2 of this, but I hope to update soon.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed this one and thanks for reading.


	6. Bus Driver Blues: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to have this uploaded sooner, but...college finals. Ugh. Anyway, hope everyone enjoys.

“Please don’t go…” the pup whimpered again, his lip quivering. 

The last thing D.O. wanted to do at that moment was to leave Kai. He hated leaving the pup alone. He couldn’t stand it. He felt like the worst owner imaginable. All of his friends were able to properly provide for their hybrids. They either purchased companions for them or were able to work from home and spend all day with them. And D.O.? The only companion he ever had for his hybrid…he had to get rid of…because he couldn’t take care of him. 

'I already failed Tao…but I won’t let the same thing happen with you, Kai. I can’t. Never.'

“Would you feel better if I called one of your friends to come play?” the man asked softly. He didn’t necessary want to call one of his friends to help him out in a pickle, yet again. He just wanted something that could make his pup feel better. Kai wouldn’t even look at his owner in the face. 

“No.” the pup said simply. D.O. gently grabbed Kai’s chin and made him look him in the eyes. He stroked the dog’s cheek with his other hand.

“Are you sure? Will you be fine by yourself?”

“Yes.” 

It killed D.O. the way Kai was only giving quick, one word answers. He desperately didn’t want to leave, but he was already wasting time.

“I have to go now.” He kissed his puppy before grabbing his keys. 

'I’m sorry Kai. But I can’t risk losing you.'

“I’ll see you later, Kai.” D.O. said as he walked out the door. “I love you.” The short man quickly got in his car and headed to the bus station, trying to ignore the sniffles he heard before closing the door.

 

“I have to do this. I need to buy that new heater. As long as I get enough money to keep Kai warm at night, this will all be worth it.” D.O. spoke to himself as he drove. He had to keep convincing himself that everything would be better soon. He was going to be a good owner. 

'Yeah, a good owner who ditches his dog every day.'

D.O. flinched at the thought. But he was right. A good owner doesn’t leave his puppy hybrid alone by himself all the time. He felt so bad for Kai with no playmates to keep him occupied. After leaving the dog alone on the day they were supposed to have together, he couldn't just let him sit alone by himself. Suddenly D.O. whipped out his phone.

“Hello? Soo?” 

“Kris hyung?”

“Yeah? Is something wrong?” the elder asked.

“Um well, I just got called into work.”

“What?! But it was your day off. What happened?” 

“A lot, but that’s not important.” The boy sighed. “I just had to leave Kai by himself and he’s really upset. I hate to ask this but…” 

“You want me to send the kids to go check on him?” Kris suggested. He was sure his beagles and kitty wouldn’t mind going to D.O.’s house to spend time with their puppy friend.

“Um…could you? I…I don’t want him to be alone and upset while I’m at work. Please hyung.”

“Of course, Soo. I’ll give them a call right now.”

“Thank you, hyung.” D.O. said quietly.

“It’s okay, Soo. We’re all glad to help you.” Kris knew exactly how the younger boy was probably feeling. All of their friends knew how proud D.O. was. They knew he hated how he had been struggling so much recently and had been asking for help much more frequently. And all of them wished he’d understand how they didn’t think he was a nuisance. How they didn’t think he was an inferior owner. And how they were always willing to help as much as they could.

“Thanks, I have to go now. I’m pulling up at work.” 

“Sure thing. I’ll call you later.” 

D.O. hung up first since Kris would never do so to anyone over the phone. He tried to put on a happy face as he got out of his car. The man noticed his boss standing next to his bus. His cigar was attached to his lip and a cloud of smoke was surrounding him, as usual.

“Kyungsoo, where have you been?” the man asked, clearly irritated.

“Traffic, sir.” D.O. lied.

“Oh, of course.” The man patted D.O.’s shoulder. “Alright, listen Soo. Like I said, I had to let someone else go this morning. So you’re to have to take on their shift in addition to your own. You’ll be working five days a week , 10 hours each day.”

“Excuse me?! You didn’t say that over the phone! And why 10 hours each day?” D.O. shouted.

“Well you’re route was going to be extended to 5 hours anyway. And now you’re going to have to take on the new route which is also being extended.” The man said calmly as if it were no big deal. “Holiday travel, you know how it is.”

“But sir, my dog hybrid…”

“Oh yeah, hybrids." The man said with a grimace. "You should be thankful you don’t have to drive that bus.” He laughed heartily, starting to cough due to all of the smoke in the air.

'When I was driving that bus, it was only for like 3 hours. Plus they're much more tolerable than humans.' D.O. thought angrily. 

“Well, here are your keys and the GPS in the bus is already updated with the new route. Have fun.” And with that, D.O.’s boss headed off. D.O. meanwhile wanted to start crying. First he got called to work on his day off to spend with Kai, now he was getting an extra route with longer hours on top of that. He’d never be able to spend any time with his pup. Sure he’d be able to buy more stuff, but what would the point be if he couldn’t ever enjoy those things with him.

“Well, it should get better by Christmas.” The boy sighed as he climbed into his bus.

 

At around 3 o’clock, D.O. was already annoyed. He’d only been driving for about 2 hours, yet he’d already experienced his fair share of irritating riders. People were extremely rude and pushy, not to mention overly loud. It was times like this that D.O. really wished that he could have been driving his hybrid bus. If the young man had been given these extreme extra hours for his hybrid route, everything would be perfect. At least the hybrid riders were polite to each other and to their driver. Plus, D.O. would have been able to bring Kai with him, so they could have been able to spend all of their time together. Sure it would have been while D.O. was working, but at least they’d have each other to make the experience enjoyable. 

“Have a good day.” D.O. announced with the fakest smile ever. He just wanted everyone off of his bus so he could take a break. Mainly, he wanted to call Kai and see if he was okay. The man sighed in relief when the bus was finally empty so he could pull it into the large garage. D.O. tended to just take his breaks in the bus. He wasn’t a fan of interacting with his co-workers, so it was more comfortable for him to just relax in a seat and speak to his puppy over the phone. Remembering that Kai would not answer the house phone, he dialed Chanyeol. 

“Hello?” 

“Yeollie?”

“Soo! Soo! Hi Kyungie!” the boy barked happily. “How are you?”

“I’m good. Are you at my house right now?” D.O. wasn’t sure if all of Kris’s pets had gone over to hang with Kai, but he was almost certain that Chanyeol would have been there. Not only was he super close to the puppy, but he most definitely would have wanted to do something Kris asked him to.

“Um…well…” there was a bit of a whine in Chanyeol’s voice and D.O. instantly became concerned.

“Is something wrong?” the man asked, trying to remain calm.

“Um…Baekhyun wanted to play fetch so…we took Jongie to the park.” The pup finished. D.O. instantly sighed in relief.

“Oh. That’s fine Yeol.” 

“It it?” he asked, and D.O. could almost see how his head was tilted.

“Sure. I’m glad that you took Kai out there. He’s always cooped up inside anyway. He’s probably having a blast.”

“He is. We’re all having fun.” Chanyeol responded.

“Are Chen Chen and Taozi out there too?” D.O. asked.

“Nah, they stayed at home. Kitties don’t like the cold.” The hybrid said with a bit of a chuckle.

“Ah. That makes sense.” The man smiled. He was glad to hear that Kai was having fun. Chanyeol was such a great dog and a friend for Kai to have. “Well, I’ll let you guys go. Say hi to Kai for me.”

“Sure thing, Soo.” The beagle barked. And D.O. hung up the phone. Though he still wasn’t thrilled with the situation, hearing that Kai was enjoying himself was enough to lift the man’s spirt. He spent the rest of his break relaxing, and thinking of this puppy. As long as he kept his mind on Kai, he’d be able to make it through the day.

 

 

It was around 10:30 when D.O. finally made it home. He picked up some subway sandwiches from a small shop on the way home. He wasn’t sure if Kai had eaten or decided to wait for him again, so he picked him up a sandwhich just in case. He desperately hoped that Chanyeol had made him eat, though. 

He walked into his home and was met with an unexpected sight. On his couch were two sleeping dog hybrids and a tall, blond man watching something, probably a drama, on his phone.

“Kris hyung?” D.O. was clearly surprised by his hyung’s presence in his home. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey Soo. I came over after work.” The man began. “Chanyeol didn’t want to leave Kai alone so he stayed to wait for you. And when you weren’t back by the time I got off, I came over so I could take him home.”

“I’m sorry, hyung. I was supposed to get off earlier, but…ugh there’s so much crap going on over there.” The man sighed as he leaned against the side of the couch.

“Hey, don’t be upset. It’s no big deal. All of that stuff is out of your control. As long as you and Kai are both safe and healthy, that’s all that matters.”

“Did Kai eat dinner? Do you know?” D.O. asked.

“Yeah, Yeollie and I made him something.” Kris said, stroking his own puppy on the head.

“Thank you, hyung. You didn’t have to. I mean, you could have just heated up some of the leftovers in there.”

“It was no trouble. Plus, Yeol loves to cook for his dongsaengs.” Kris was still staring endearingly at his silver hybrid. D.O. nodded.

“Well, I should probably get him home.” Kris said, gently lifting Chanyeol into his arms. “Do you need anything else?”

“We’re good, hyung. Thanks so much.”

“It’s nothing.” Kris smiled and extended his hand to D.O. The short man paused before opening his palm out to Kris. The blond man put a rather thick roll of paper in D.O.’s hand. The younger boy didn’t even need to look at the small bundle to know that it was a check, along with some additional cash as well. The shorter man flinched.

“Kris hyung…please…” D.O. stuttered. For D.O., accepting money from his friends was nearly the equivalent of having his shoes tied for him by a five year old. It just made him feel utterly pathetic; a grown man receiving gift cash because he wasn’t successful enough to make enough on his own.

“Take it, Soo.” Kris smiled.

“No, I can’t.” D.O. tried held the money out to his hyung, who refused to take it.

“Please, I want you to have it.” The man said, gummy smile lighting up his face. “You don’t have to use it now. Maybe save it to buy some nice Christmas gifts for Kai.” Chanyeol stirred in his owner’s grasp. He began quietly mumbling. “I have to go now.” Kris whispered. And with that, he exited the home.

D.O. stared at the door in silence, unable to decide whether or not he wanted to follow Kris. On one hand, he knew Kris wouldn't take the money back, but on the other hand…he’d given up so easily. Any thoughts about following the man instantly vanished as D.O. heard the sounds of Kai shuffling behind him.

“Hnung, ugh…hyung?” the puppy whined. Instantly, D.O. joined his pet on the couch and wrapped his arms around him.

“Kai, are you okay buddy?”

“Yeah, I’m fine hyung.” The puppy yawned. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” D.O. replied, pressing a kiss to the toy poodle’s head. Kai giggled in response. 

“Woah, is that how much you got paid?” 

“Huh?” D.O. was confused until he noticed that the roll of won was still sticking between in fingers. “Oh you mean this?”

“Yeah! Wow hyung, this is great!” the pup barked. He began happily licking his owner and returned the hug. “I was upset earlier when you left hyung, but if you can make this much money, then I’m happy that you got to work more.”

“You…you are?”

“Yes hyung. I want you to be able to buy the things you want.” Kai nuzzled his head under his hyung’s chin, actually managing to elicit a few chuckles from the elder.

“That’s great to hear.” D.O. said, patting his hybrid’s head. He was smiling but deep down inside he was disgusted with himself. Not only had he accepted the handout from Kris, but now he was misleading Kai. D.O. hadn’t fully counted the money in his hand, but knowing Kris, he was certain that it was probably well over what he actually would have made at work. Heck, he wouldn’t be surprised it was over double his paycheck. Unlike D.O., Kris had a good, well-paying job that left him plenty of money to spare. The younger on the other hand usually barely made enough to actually support a grown man and a growing puppy hybrid.

“Did you get food?” Kai asked, sniffing the air.

“Oh, yeah. I picked up some sandwiches in case you didn’t eat anything.”

“Kris made some Dakgalbi. There’s some left over for tomorrow too.” The puppy said, wagging his tail.

“Sounds nice.” D.O. tried not to let the irritation sink into his voice.

“But…can we still have the sandwiches?” 

“You’re still hungry?”

“Well, no. But…I still like eating with you, hyung.” Kai said, tail wagging. D.O. couldn’t help but chuckle. 

“Sure thing. Best to eat them warm anyway.” The short man patted his puppy’s head. He took out the sandwiches for each of them and the two of them ate in silence. Kai leaned against his owner’s side as he ate, enjoying being as close to the man as possible. Content hums made their way out of his throat. D.O. on the other hand was in panic mode, though he played it off as if everything was fine; smiling at his pup fondly as they ate.

'You idiot. Why did you lie to him? What’s he going to think when you get your paycheck Friday and it’s nothing close to this? Why did you have to take the damn money from Kris anyway? Why can’t you have a good job so you don’t have to take handouts from your friends? Why can’t you be a good pet owner?'

D.O. hated feeling this way. Like the lowest of the low. He wasn’t poor by any means, but he couldn’t stand how he made so much less than his friends. Something that was pocket change for Kris, D.O. would be glad to make after two weeks of work. D.O. was so caught up in berating himself that he almost didn’t hear Kai speak.

“Hyung?”

“Uh, yes Kai?” 

“Do you have to go to work tomorrow?”

“Yes. Yes I do.” The man’s tone was much more somber than he wanted it to be. “In fact, I’m going to be working every day of the week now.”

“Every day?!”

“Well, not on the weekends, but…Monday through Friday.” The man sighed. “So it’s almost every day.”

“And it’s going to be as long as you worked today?” The puppy whined.

“I’m sorry bud. Really, I…”

“That’s okay.” Kai said suddenly.

“Huh? But Kai…”

“It’ll be fine. After all, you’re going to be making more money. So it’ll be fine in the end.” The toy poodle said with a smile.

“Oh, um yes. More money.” D.O. said, a nervous smile plastered on his face. “And you can go over and play at your friends’ houses too.”

“Yeah. So everything is going to work out after all.” The hybrid nuzzled against his owner’s face and D.O. couldn’t help but to playfully ruffle his fur.

“You’re right. Everything will be alright.” The young man said.

 

In the following weeks, D.O. made it his mission to work as hard as possible to earn as much money as possible. He and Kai both hated how the time they were spending together was decreasing by the day. But if receiving a high paycheck what would keep Kai in good spirits during the day, D.O. was going to make sure that he came home with enough money to make Kai proud. Unfortunately, things at work had only gone from bad to worse. Two more workers ended up leaving the company for one reason or another, which meant that their load had to be placed on the remaining workers. D.O. was now having to drive even father distances and had even shorter breaks. It didn’t help that his wages didn’t even increase after the loss of the other workers. His boss insisted that a portion of their original paycheck would have been added in to the remaining employee’s checks, but D.O. hadn’t received any more money than usual and that only frustrated him further. 

He didn’t tell any of this to Kai of course. The man simply played if off as if everything at work was fine and would distract the hybrid with lots of cuddles and playtime when he got home. As long as Kai thought that D.O. was making more money, the pup was happy and D.O. wanted nothing other than for his dog to be happy. He’d worry about the money situation later.

“How are things at work, Soo?” Xiumin asked, sipping a cup of bubble tea.

“It’s getting much better actually.” D.O. said with a smile. He truly didn’t want to lie to his hyungs, but he couldn’t let them know what was actually happening at his job. They’d be throwing money at him and cooking for him every night.

Xiumin smiled happily. “That’s great news.” D.O. smiled, but avoided eye contact, instead staring into his own cup of tea.

“Yeah, I’m just glad Kai is so upbeat. We haven’t had much time to each other recently.” 

“Well from what Lulu has told me, he’s happy to be spending more time with his friends. He’s also thrilled that you’ve been so much happier recently.”

“I have?” D.O. was genuinely confused. He’d been feeling totally worn out recently and was actually worried about Kai noticing. Had he really put on that great of an act? 

“Well that’s what he said.” Xiumin chuckled. “He said, ever since you’ve been making more money you’ve been super happy after work. Oh, and by the way, did you get that new heater yet?”

“Not yet, but I’m almost there.” That was the only statement D.O. had made that wasn’t a completely lie. He’d continued saving and storing his money and was nearly at the point that he could buy his new heater. It couldn’t come at a better time either, as the weather was getting colder by the day, and there was actually a big storm on the way.

“Great. I’m sure you and Kai will be so happy to have it. I know how cold your house gets.”

“As long as he’s warm, that’s all I care about.” D.O. said very seriously. He was still staring into his tea cup and was surprised when Xiumin made his way over to him.

“Kyungsoo, I know you’d been having some money issues before, and I know that you hated whenever I or one of the others would try to help you. “Xiumin placed his hand over the younger boy’s as he spoke. “I’m really proud of you. I’m so glad that things are getting better for you.”

D.O. nodded quietly. He didn’t know what to say. He was already feeling uncomfortable for lying, and Xiumin’s kind words were only making him feel more guilty.

“But I just want you to know that if ever you need any more help, please don’t hesitate to call us.”

“Hyung, I…”

“I know things are going well now and that you probably won’t need anything, but I just wanted you to know that you can still ask us for help if you need something.”

“Okay.” D.O. replied dryly. 

“We all know how you felt when you didn’t have that much money and had to ask us for help. You thought that you were a crappy pet owner and annoyed us by asking for help. But we all want you to know that you’re a great guy and a great owner to Kai. And we’ll always be there to help you, no matter what.” D.O. nodded. He hadn't even realized when Xiumin had started rubbing his back.

“Thank you, hyung.”

“And if anything bad happens at your job and you suddenly need something, we won’t think any less of you. We all love you Kyungsoo.”the older male said softly.

D.O. gulped. He messed up big time. He never should have lied to the others and told them that everything at work was fine. Now if something did come up and he truly did need help, they might be hesitant to help him.

“I…I have to go hyung.”

“Something wrong?”

“No, I just need to get Kai settled before I head to work.”

“You can leave him here if you want. I’m sure Lu would love to hang out with him some more and maybe watch more of those dramas.”

“It’s okay hyung. Maybe some other time.”

“Okay then.” The blond replied, taking the cup of bubble tea from D.O. The younger man headed up to Luhan’s room where the two hybrids were currently watching a movie. Kai was snuggled against Luhan’s chest, eyes locked on the TV. The deer hybrid was gently grooming Kai’s hair and face, not really paying much attention to the movie. 

“Time to go Jongie.” D.O. whispered.

“Aw, hyung. The movie isn’t over yet.” The pup whined.

“You can finish it next time. I have to get ready to go to work.” The boy cooed. 

“Can Kai come back to finish it tomorrow?” Luhan asked.

“Sure thing.” D.O. said, rubbing the deer hybrid’s antlers. Kai smiled and hugged his friend before hopping out of the bed. 

 

Once the duo arrived home, D.O. immediately turned on their old heater. It was already really cold outside and the man knew from watching the news that it was only going to get eve colder that night.

“It’s so cold, hyung.” Kai said. The toy poodle had wrapped himself in some blankets that were sitting on the sofa.

“Hopefully this old thing will warm up soon so you’ll be good for the evening.” D.O. said. He was upset that he had to leave Kai alone in this cold, but was happy since he would be receiving his paycheck later, and if he got the extra money that was promised, he’d have enough to get the new heater the next day.

“I’ll be fine, hyung.” The pup barked. 

“Alright, there’s plenty of food in the fridge, but with everything you ate at Xiumin’s place, you shouldn’t be that hungry.” D.O. said as he grabbed his keys. 

“I’d wait for you anyway.” The dog hybrid replied. D.O. patted the puppy and received a quick lick on the cheek.

“Okay, okay, I’ll see you later bud.”

“You’re off tomorrow, right hyung?” Kai asked with hopeful eyes.

“Yep. And hopefully we’ll be able to get that new heater.”

“I hope so, hyung.” Kai replied with a wag of his tail. 

“Me too.” D.O. said as he closed the door.

 

D.O. climbed out of his bus with a heavy sigh. Though he was handling the same new route he’d had for the past few weeks, he felt more exhausted than ever before. It was only the fact that he knew he was mere minutes from receiving his paycheck that kept him from completely wiping out.

“I made it.” The boy said to himself. “Just a few more minutes and I can head home.” And right on schedule, his manager approached him and the other workers. 

“Alright boys, good job tonight.” The man said, taking out several small slips of paper. “I hope it wasn’t too tiring.” The man laughed.

“No, I just feel like I’ve been driving for 3 days straight with no food or sleep.” D.O. muttered to himself.

“Well, I’m glad you all made it back with no issues. Unfortunately I have a bit of bad news.” The man said, playing with the checks in his hand. And D.O. immediately snapped to attention. 

'Oh gosh, please don’t tell me we have to work tomorrow. After all the crap that’s been going on, I really don’t need this.'

“I know I promised you guys larger paychecks and you’ve all been expecting them. And don’t worry, you will be getting them…just not today.”

“What?!” D.O. shouted along with a few other employees.

“Not only that, but your checks for this week are a bit lower than usual.”

“You’ve got to be kidding!”

“I know that a lot of you are understandably upset. I am too. I was only just informed of this, earlier today. But everything will be fine.” The man assured them. “You will be receiving your extra pay by the end of the month.” And with that, the man began passing out the checks. Irritated mumbles echoed throughout the room.

D.O. was in such a state of shock that he didn’t even realize when his check had been placed into his hand. He hadn’t realized when everyone else had left. He didn’t remember his boss walking his out to his car and reassuring him once again that he would receive his extra money and expressing his deepest condolences. And he certainly didn’t know how he got the courage to drive home to explain all of this to Kai. Only one thought sounded in the young man’s mind as he drove home.

'I…I failed him.'

The eerie mood lingered as D.O. returned to his house. The first thing he noticed as he pulled into the driveway was that none of the lights were on. It certainly wasn’t like Kai to turn off all of the lights if he was home alone. Instantly the man went into panic mode and dashed to the house. After fumbling with his keys in the dark, he finally managed to get the door open.

“Kai! Kai! Jongin what’s going on?!” the man hollered. The house was freezing and the man could barely see anything.

“Hyung?” came a small whimper.

“Jongin? Where are you?” D.O. asked frantically. 

“I’m here, hyung.” The sound of footsteps drew D.O.’s attention towards the back hallway. Eventually, the man’s arms found his puppy.

“Kai? Are you okay? What happened?”

“Hyung. The heater… it went off. It just stopped working.” The puppy whined. “So I went to the room to get more blankets, and then…the lights went out. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t see so I just stayed in the room. But it was so cold…”

“Oh, Kai…”

“Hyung…I know it’s late, but…can we go get the heater now?”

D.O. could barely register what was going on. First, his paycheck was short, meaning didn’t have nearly enough money to get the heater that day or even in the next few weeks, now his power was out and his house was freezing and he had no way to fix it.

“I…I…” D.O. couldn’t even form words. He was trying his hardest to cry.

“Please hyung.” The toy poodle whimpered. 

And the tears started streaming down D.O.’s face.

“I can’t. I don’t have enough money.” The man cried, wiping his eyes.

“What do you mean, hyung? You said you should have enough by now.”

“I lied Kai. I said I was making more than I was because I didn’t want you to worry. And you said you were more comfortable being home alone as long as I was making more money for the heater. And honestly, I thought I would be making more money soon, but…ugh…I’m sorry Jongin.” The man sniffled. “I’m so sorry. I’m the worst pet owner on the planet.”

"Hyung…” Kai whined, wrapping his arms around his owner. He was silent for a few seconds before speaking up again. “I never cared about the money.” D.O. ‘s eyes widened as he pulled away from his puppy.

“But, you said…”

“Chanyeol hyung told me to act like I was happy that you were working more so you wouldn’t feel as bad about leaving, but the truth is that I don’t care about money. I don’t care about any of that. I just care about you hyung.”

“Kai.” D.O. tried to find words. He tried to find a way to apologize to Kai for all that he’d done, but there was no way to do such a thing so easily. “I’m sorry you have such a pitiful excuse for a pet owner.”

“Hyung, you are a good owner. You’re the best owner a dog could ask for, but…you need help.”

“Huh?” D.O. was generally confused about what Kai was referring to.

“I know you don’t like to ask people for help, but…I don’t think any less of you because of it. I don't care that you get gift money and food from our friends. I just…I’m just cold hyung.” The puppy shivered and sniffed. Though D.O. couldn’t see I the dark, he knew his hybrid was crying. 

‘I’ve ruined everything.’ D.O. thought. ‘I’ve ruined everything and can’t do anything about it’ D.O. started to tear up again at the thought of Kai getting sick from this weather, all because he was too proud to tell his friends how much he was actually struggling and refuse their help. But he had no time to wallow in self-pity. His pup needed warmth now and that was all that mattered.And he knew what he had to do.

“Let’s go.” 

 

D.O. wobbled through the cold as he clutched his puppy close to him. The wind was so strong that it nearly knocked the two of them down. 

'How could you let this happen? No money, no heat, and no lights. You’re the worst excuse of a pet owner on the planet. Kai deserves so much better than you. All you had to do was provide a good home for him, but you couldn’t even do that.'

D.O. continued to beat himself up until he arrived at the front doorstep. He rang the doorbell a few times and knocked with all his might. Within minutes, someone arrived at the door.

“D.O., Kai? What are you doing out here?”

“Junmyeon, hyung…please…can Kai come in?” D.O. asked barely getting any words out properly due to the strong wind and freezing cold. He slowly pushed Kai towards his friend, but Suho pulled them both inside the house and shut the door behind them.

“What is going on guys?” Suho asked worriedly. “Why are you outside at this hour? And in this weather?”

“My heater went out. Our lights went out. The car wouldn’t start. I just…please…”

“Your heat went out? Tonight? Oh my gosh, you guys must be freezing!” Suho exclaimed, dashing to grab some blankets. “Wrap up in these for now. I’m going to go start a nice, hot bath.” And the short man ran up the stairs without another word.

Kai shivered as he licked his lips in nervousness. D.O. wrapped the blanket Suho had given him around his puppy. He didn’t care about how cold he was at the moment; he just wanted his toy poodle to be warm. 

“Hyung…”

“Keep it. I just need you to stay warm.” D.O. said, wrapping his arms around the boy to give him even more warmth. Luckily, Suho returned downstairs rather quickly and with a handful of blankets. 

“Sorry, I took so long. Sehun and Lay heard the noise and I had to tell them everything was fine.” Suho explained. “And Kai, you’re free to join the boys once you finish your bath.”

“It’s no problem, hyung.” D.O. said, still shivering. “And thank you so much.” 

“The tub is ready for you Kai. Or you can both go together if you want.” The older man said. “I brought these in case you wanted to go one at a time.” Kai looked at his owner as if to ask what he wanted to do.

“Go on, Kai.” D.O. smiled. The pup nodded and left the blankets with the humans as he headed upstairs. Once the hybrid was out of sight, D.O. stood up.

“What’s wrong, Soo?”

“I’m going home.”

“Excuse me? Home? You said there are no lights and no heat.” Suho exclaimed, gabbing the young boy’s arm.

“I’ll be fine hyung. I just wanted make sure Kai was okay. I’ll be back in the morning.”

“Kyungsoo stop.” The elder said sternly. D.O. paused for a minute. He knew Suho would want to talk about what was going on, and he really wasn’t in the mood to think even more about what a crappy owner he was.

“Hyung…please…”

“Kyungsoo, sit down.” Suho said, his tone softer. D.O. obeyed. Suho wrapped the blankets around the younger boy before he sat down again.

“Now, can we talk?” the man asked with his arms folded.

“Junmyeon, I really don’t want to talk about it.”

“Aish, this is your problem, Soo. You never want to tell anyone anything.”

“I don’t have to tell anyone anything. It’s my business, not anyone else’s.” D.O. replied, rather angrily.

“When you’re walking up to my house at like 1 am using my bath tub and blankets, it is my business.” Suho retorted, eyes stern once again. D.O. flinched. He looked at his hands in his lap, not wanting to look at his hyung in the eyes.

“I just wanted Kai to be warm. I don’t need to stay here or use anything.” The boy mumbled.

“Soo, you know I don’t mean that it a bad way. I’m perfectly happy to let you and Kai use whatever you need whenever you need it.” The elder reached over to pat his friend’s hands. “But I need to know what’s going on so I know how to help you.” D.O. pulled his hands away from his hyung and turned away in the chair.

“You don’t understand, hyung.” 

“What don’t I understand?”

“You don’t understand anything.”

“What do you mean?” Suho asked, still trying to keep his voice down despite how irritated his was getting with D.O.’s vagueness.

“You’re rich! You have all the money in the world to take care of Lay, Sehun and probably ten other hybrids without any effort. You don’t know what it’s like to be 21 years old, and have to ask your friends for help every other day because you have a sucky job that doesn’t pay you enough to care for your hybrid! You don’t know what it’s like to go sleep at night, not knowing whether you’ll have enough money to feed your hybrid or yourself in the morning. You don't know what it's like to have to give up a hybrid you took in becuase you just didn't have enough money! You don’t understand anything I’m going through. None of you guys do!” The boy huffed as he ended his emotional outburst. He wiped away tears he didn’t even realize were there and tried to calm himself. He was so out of it that he didn’t notice Suho wrapping his arms around his body. The older man pressed a kiss D.O.’s forehead.

“Oh Soo. You’re so sweet.”

“Wha…what?”

“Kyungsoo, you’re a good kid.” Suho whispered. "You're always thinking about others, over yourself." He held D.O. in place for a few minutes, slowly rocking the two of them back and forth. 

“Hyung?” D.O. asked eventually. Suho released the boy and sat down.

“Soo, why don’t you like asking for help?” the older man asked calmly.

“Because I’m a grown adult and should be able to take care of myself.” D.O. spoke with a slightly angered tone. “I should be able to provide for my own hybrid without assistance from my friends.”

“What’s wrong with that? If I was in a situation where I had little money and had to ask you and our friends for help all the time, would you think poorly of me? Would you not want to help me?”

“Of course I’d help you hyung. That’s not what the issue is.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s Kai. He deserves so much better. He deserves an owner who can afford to buy him things and provide a decent home. An owner that can get by with their own paycheck.”

“Do you really think Kai has a problem with how you guys live?” Suho asked. And D.O. couldn’t formulate words. Deep down he knew that Kai loved him, but he still had a lingering feeling that the pup might be jealous of his friends who have wealthier owners.

"I..."

“Hyung!” Both men looked to the hallway to see the toy poodle approaching. He had finished bathing and had gotten dressed in the puppy themed onesie pajamas Suho had taken out for him.

“Kai? Why aren’t you in bed?” D.O. asked and was caught off guard as Kai threw himself at his owner.

“Hyung, I’m sorry. Please don’t feel bad about yourself.” Kai whined, rubbing himself on his owner’s body. D.O. wrapped his arms around the taller boy and pulled him onto his lap.

“Why are you apologizing? You’ve done nothing wrong.” 

“I heard you say that you don’t like to ask for help because of me. But I don’t want you to feel that way hyung. I just want us to be happy together. I don’t care about you having to ask for food or money or anything. I still love you, Kyungsoo.” The dog sniffled as tears streamed down his face. Suho grabbed a nearby napkin and handed it to D.O. as he exited the room. This moment was just for D.O. and his hybrid alone. He'd give him the cash he wanted to gift him in the morning. That heater would be purchased the next day.

“Jongin, I didn’t mean it that way. I just…sometimes I feel like you’d be happier if you had a different owner. Someone who could give you all the things you want and need. Someone that I could never be.” D.O. explained as he wiped away Kai’s tears.

“Hyung, you’re the only thing that I want and need. I don’t need money or toys or a heater or anything else. I only want you.” The dog sobbed out. "I only want you."

“Do you really mean that, Jongin?” 

“Yes, hyung. I’ve always felt that way.” The dog said, resting his head on his owner’s. “As long as we are together, I have everything I need.”

“Thank you, Kai. I'm sorry for lying.” D.O. said, stroking the puppy’s head as more tears streamed down his face. He pressed a kiss to Kai’s check. “I love you.”

“I wuv you too hyung.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone liked the ending. Thanks to everyone who's been reading and enjoying :)


	7. Perfect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amazing how it's taken this long for me to do a chapter of my ultimate otp :p I'm shocked, myself. Hope you all enjoy.

Luhan sighed contently for probably the 6th time as he stared at his wonderful owner. It had become a habit of the deer hybrid to stare at his owner as he slept while waiting for him to awaken. Some might find it creepy, but Luhan regarded it as admiration. He adored the cute, older man and was perfectly content to lie in bed, drinking up his owner’s face for hours on a daily basis. Luhan hated to wake the man from his peaceful slumber, but he often couldn’t contain himself. He simply couldn’t resist peppering kisses across the sleeping man’s face. On his soft, fluffy cheeks and beautiful eyes. Depending on how the human was sleeping, Luhan would kiss him all the way down his neck. It was almost like an addiction. Even when the man woke up with a dried drool stained face, a very frequent event, Luhan still found it adorable and it didn’t stop him from peppering kisses all over him. 

It was also common for the deer to give his owner loving head nuzzles as a substitute for kisses. It was somewhat hard, considering the small antlers that stood on Luhan’s head, but he’d developed a way to easily rub his scent all over Xiumin’s face without waking or harming him. Sometimes it was uncomfortable for the hybrid himself, but he’d make that sacrifice for his baozi. But if he wasn’t in the mood for head rubs or normal kisses, Luhan was also fine with simply giving his owner deer kisses, aka licking Xiumin with his huge sticky, deer tongue. At first, Xiumin found it to be the grossest thing ever. Being a neat freak, he nearly wanted to vomit at being covered in deer saliva upon waking up, but eventually just got used to it. Which of course only prompted Luhan to do it even more.

The deer wished he didn’t have to wake his owner up, but alas, that was life. Being a hybrid, Luhan had the freedom to just lie around all day if he wanted, but Xiumin had no such luxuries. He had a job and had to provide for the both for them which meant, lazy relaxing with Luhan in bed was very infrequent. And usually it just consisted of Luhan pressing kisses all over his hyung’s face. Though Luhan loved his beauty sleep, he tried to wake up at least an hour or so before his owner so he could just admire him for a while. Kiss his wonderful face and sing him songs, even though the man rarely reacted in his sleep. Being able to watch his owner’s peaceful face every morning was worth losing a few winks of sleep.

But the day had to start eventually. And thus, Luhan reluctantly decided to finally wake Xiumin. He pressed a gentle kiss to the older man’s cheek, loving the way his eyes peacefully blinked open. 

Xiumin’s eyes were certainly special. He had single eyelids, a very uncommon trait. Oftentimes the small male felt a bit self-conscious about this difference between him and his friends and didn’t like whenever it was pointed out, but Luhan loved the feature. His owner’s eyes were so breathtaking and enchanting and his single eyelids only aided in bringing out those wonderful beauties. 

Xiumin yawned and stretched his arms from under the blanket. He reached out a hand to pet his deer hybrid on the head. Though his eyes weren’t fully opened, he knew the hybrid was lying next to him on the bed. He’d become used to the younger lad being there when he woke up, and now couldn’t imagine a morning without him, not that there’d ever be a slight chance of Luhan not being there.

“Morning Lulu.” The man cooed, rubbing the boy’s antlers. His sleep laced voice was deep and rough, which pretty typical in the morning, yet Luhan found it just as sexy 

“Good morning.” The boy whispered, pressing a kiss to his owner’s other hand. “What would you like for breakfast?”

“Anything is fine, Lu. I’ll be down to make the coffee after I wash up.”

“Don’t worry about it.” The deer replied, pushing himself off the bed. He pulled the blanket off of his owner’s body and gave him a hug. Xiumin responded with a soft chuckle. It amazed him how cuddly his hybrid was with him, even early in the morning. He was also surprised by the way Luhan always insisted upon doing everything for him.

“Okay Lu-ge. Now let me go shower.” Luhan nodded and pressed a final kiss to his owner’s temple before heading into the kitchen. Xiumin laughed to himself as the deer exited the room. He pulled his wolf adorned blanket, a present from Kris, properly over the sheets and made his way into the bathroom.

Being given the opportunity to share life with Xiumin was definitely the best gift Luhan had ever received. The deer hybrid had been stuck at a pet shop as a “rare and excusive” , aka expensive, hybrid for a few years before Xiumin had purchased him. The short blond man saw the deer sitting in a small cramped cage and knew he had to get him out. Money was no object at that moment; that poor creature deserved better. Despite his rarity, most humans tended to quickly pass Luhan up due to the fact that he was much older than the other hybrids that were being offered. Xiumin simply considered it luck to not only find a rare hybrid at a basic pat shop, but also on that was actually the same age as him, but Luhan dubbed it fate. And perhaps it was a combination of all of those factors that made Luhan instantly fall in love with Xiumin. 

The deer hybrid adored the man at first sight. When he first looked at him through the bars of his cage, he knew he wanted to see that face every day from then on. It was odd. Luhan was a gorgeous hybrid compared to most, yet Xiumin was a rather plain human. He looked much younger than he really was and didn’t have any other real defining features. But to Luhan, everything about Xiumin was beautiful. His stunning eyes were like hypnotic orbs that sucked Luhan attention’s to the point that he’d unintentionally stare at him, unblinking. His soft, thick, pink lips, which looked amazing when glossed, drew Luhan’s gaze with no effort. Every time the man opened his mouth, the deer’s eyes would be on his lips. And his cheeks. Those adorable, plush cheeks that his Xiumin loved to puff out and make adorable faces. If Luhan could kiss them all day, he would with no question.

And after the purchase was finalized, Luhan’s mission in life became to spend every waking moment with his new owner. Everywhere Xiumin went, Luhan was right behind him. Whatever Xiumin did, Luhan watched him. Anything Xiumin needed, Luhan got it for him. And heck, Luhan even did things for his owner that the man never asked for. He cooked for him, cleaned for him, fed him, bathed him, sang him to sleep, tried as hard as possible to help him with work…the deer and his owner were nearly inseparable.

Downstairs, Luhan had already started on a hearty breakfast. Despite Xiumin’s short stature and thin waist, he actually ate a lot on a daily basis. Food was one of his weaknesses, so much so that it wasn’t rare for the man to snack several times throughout the day. Frequent exercise helped keep him healthy, though Luhan still often made large meals for him. He’d already laid out some French toast, chocolate chip pancakes, eggs, and rice and was about to start on some bacon. At that moment, Xiumin entered the kitchen.

“Why do you always make so much?” Xiumin whined. It was that adorable, childish whine that didn’t really match someone of his age, yet seemed fitting due to his facial features.

“There’s two of us, aren’t there?” the deer responded, flipping the bacon.

“But you don’t eat the meat.” Xiumin countered, going for his coffee mug. “Speaking of, where’s the fruit anyway?”

“Didn’t take it out yet.” Luhan responded. “It should stay cold until I finish cooking.” Xiumin rolled his eyes. Though Luhan’s statement was true, Xiumin knew that the pink haired deer probably wasn’t planning on eating anytime soon. He always insisted on feeding Xiumin his breakfast and never took the time to feed himself until his owner was nearly done. As such, Xiumin tended to simply feed his deer, while the younger fed him.

“I’ll grab them.” The boy was about to get the coffee started before he noticed the steaming coffee pitcher that was already sitting on the table. “I told you I’d handle the coffee, Lu.” The blond man chuckled, back hugging Luhan. 

“And I told you not to worry about it.” The hybrid replied with a quick peck to his owner’s cheek. Luhan turned off the stove and set the bacon on a plate, finishing his cooking. Xiumin grabbed a bowl of mixed fruit from the fridge. He prepared one every night for Luhan to eat in the morning. Luhan was about to sit down before he spotted a flower sitting on the counter. It was a pink rose that Luhan had picked from their next door neighbor’s house. Being a deer, Luhan loved flowers and nature, and it wasn’t rare for him to bring home many flowers after a trip outside. He gifted each and every one to his dear owner, always saying that they were as beautiful as him and therefore he had to have it. Xiumin always smiled and accepted them, even though he had well over 60 by now. He simply couldn’t deny a present from Luhan.

“Alright Lulu, ready to…” Xiumin’s words were cut off by Luhan suddenly spinning him around and fiddling with his hair. “Lu-ge…what are you doing?” there was that whiny voice again. Luhan smiled as he finished his handiwork and stepped back. His owner reached up, gently poking at the object on his head, trying to figure out what his pet had done.

“Aigooo…what’s this?” the man asked, an adorable confused expression plastered on his face.

“You look cute, Baozi.” The deer chuckled. A quick glance in a mirror revealed that Luhan had nestled the flower in Xiumin’s hair, almost resembling a hair accessory.

“Why’d you put this here?”

“Because it makes you look cuter.” Luhan replied, kissing his owner on the lips.

“Aish, you’re so weird.” Xiumin laughed. It wasn’t weird for Luhan to do stuff like this. Sometimes Xiumin felt like he was Luhan’s pet, constantly having accessories and outfits put on him against his will. Luhan even put his own tan collar around his owner’s neck occasionally. Xiumin just shook his head and accepted his hybrid’s strange quirks. He was too hungry to think about it at the moment, anyway.

And so, the two had breakfast as usual. Luhan slowly forked Xiumin his eggs and rice, relishing in the sight of the man’s adorable full cheeks as he chewed his food. He’d then butter his toast and feed that to him as well. Then Xiumin would make a move to pour himself some coffee, which Luhan would of course take and pour for him. While drinking his coffee, one of the few things Luhan allowed his hyung to do for himself, the deer would offer him the nice crisp bacon. All throughout this process, Xiumin would be feeding the deer a random assortment of fruit consisting of strawberries, apple slices, and grapes. Their meals were often quiet, Luhan focusing on feeding and observing his owner and Xiumin focusing on eating and making sure that Luhan ate. It was a comfortable silence that both men enjoyed. 

After breakfast, Luhan gathered and washed the dishes while Xiumin headed to his computer for work. The man originally worked in an office aiding in architecture development, but decided start working from home after buying Luhan. From his house, is position changed in that he was only able to focus on the more mathematical aspects, but he didn’t mind. He was grateful that his company allowed him to continue working for them and being able stay with Luhan all day was a great bonus.

Upon finishing the dishes, Luhan joined his owner in the den where he’d already started typing some documents. He’d also placed a backwards baseball cap on his head, a nice freedom also available due to working from home. He made sure to not harm the flower of course; he could never be so careless about something from his precious pet. Luhan adored having his owner to himself all day. Sometimes he’d be able to lay in Xiumin’s lap as he typed and talked to his co-workers online. Other times Xiumin would sit in his lap and work while the deer gave him loving kisses, of the normal and hybrid variety, as he completed his tasks. But then there would be those days were Xiumin had so much work and was surrounded by too many papers, so Luhan would have to keep his distance. Today was one of those days.

“Sorry Lu-ge. Lots of important stuff for today.” The man said sadly, knowing that his hybrid would have wanted to be closer to him.

“It’s okay, hyung.” Luhan said, taking a seat on the floor. “I’m fine right here.” Xiumin patted the boy’s head before turning back to his computer. 

Luhan placed his head in his hands as he gazed at his owner. Honestly, sometimes Luhan thought that these kinds of days were better than days he could sit with Xiumin in his chair. The deer would stare at the short man from on the floor, carefully observing every move the he would make. At this point, the hybrid had nearly memorized all of Xiumin’s work behaviors, as he so called them. Such as how the man would often talk to himself when reading a message from his email. He’d also speak his responses out loud as he typed, making it seem like he was having a conversation with himself. It was especially funny when the man made several errors while trying to compose a message, and would thus scold himself. 

“Yah, Minseokkie! What are you doing? Can’t you even type?”

“Aish, how did I write that? Minseok what’s wrong with you? Are you feeling okay? Maybe you need a break. Yeah, I think so too.”

Luhan would have to bite his tongue to remain quiet, or even leave the room to laugh at his silly owner. Another frequent habit was how he’d puff out his cheeks and nod his head from side to side as he watched growing percent bars on the screen. But Luhan’s favorite were the cute, confused gestures and sounds he’d often make when he was reading something with a lot of numbers on it.

The deer hybrid loved watching Xiumin more than he enjoyed watching dramas with Kai and Lay. 

“Hee hee, he’s confused.” Luhan thought to himself. His owner was currently frowning at the screen, a quizzical expression painted on his face. To Luhan, it was one of the most adorable sights in the world. His owner’s single eyelids brought out his beautiful eyes and made his expressions super cute. It seemed that Xiumin was having a particularly taxing time based on the way he kept mumbling to himself; something that was also pretty darn cute.

“Okay…wait…what…” the blond whispered. A smile stretched across Luhan’s face.

“What? What does this even mean?” the man whined. Luhan struggled to stifle a chuckle.

“Oh come on? Why?” Xiumin moaned with a pout on his face. His deer hybrid cooed silently.

“Aigooo, what is this?” the human seemed nearly exasperated. Luhan thought it was hilarious how the blond man was reacting so much, and so adorably to a computer.

“My Baozi hyung. He’s the best.” Luhan sighed to himself. Though he was enjoying the show from his owner, he knew that the man was getting agitated, and the deer disliked seeing the man upset. He knew that a snack and some coffee would brighten up his mood so he headed to the kitchen to grab some refreshments for his cutie pie owner.

Luhan couldn’t help, but smile as he pranced around the kitchen, preparing Xiumin’s snack. He heated up some nice steamed buns along with a side of rice. The deer hybrid playfully poked at the round, delicious delicacies. 

“Just as cute as his real cheeks.” He giggled to himself. He poured another cup of coffee into his owner’s favorite duck-themed mug. Luhan gathered all of the snacks and put them on a tray which he slowly carried back into the living room.

At the computer table, Xiumin still seemed annoyed with whatever he was doing. The man was still mumbling to himself and whining. Luhan had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from squealing at the cuteness. 

“Wae, why is this so confusing?” Xiumin pouted. He was so focused on the monitor in front of him that he didn’t hear the sounds of his hybrid approaching. And thus the man was surprised to have a steam bun pressed against his lips.

“Aish, Lulu. You know I hate when you sneak up on me.” His was scolding the boy, but the pout still painted on his face made it impossible for Luhan to take him seriously. 

“Sorry Min.” Luhan chuckled. “I thought you might want a snack. You seemed…stressed.” The deer held the steamed bun to Xiumin’s lips once again. The blond man took a large bit out of it, giving his pet a small smile.

“Thanks, Lu.” Xiumin replied. Luhan smiled. It was that beautiful, feminine smile that illuminated the deer’s entire face and made him look extremely adorable. 

Xiumin patted his lap; an invitation for the deer to sit down.

“Are you sure?” Luhan asked, tentatively. “I don’t want to mess up your stuff.”

“It’s fine.” Xiumin said, sliding his work materials aside. Luhan smiled once again and set the tray of food on the table. He gently pulled at his owner’s arm and Xiumin already knew what he wanted. The shorter man stood up and let Luhan sit in the chair. He then sat on the deer’s own lap and found himself instantly cradled by the younger male.

Despite the fact that Luhan was the pet, he preferred to hold Xiumin in his lap or between his legs, rather than the other way around. His owner’s short height probably had some influence to this habit, but the older man didn’t mind regardless. He actually found it adorable that Luhan loved to pamper him so much. The deer grabbed another meat bun and held it to Xiumin’s lips. The human took it and chewed it slowly. Almost tantalizingly. Luhan couldn’t resist reaching out a hand and poking the short man’s cheek.

“Heh, Baozi’s the cutest when eating baozi.” The deer chuckled. He pressed his nose to Xiumin’s puffy cheeks and nuzzled him gently.

“I think you’re the only guy I know that finds cheeks cute.” His owner replied, reaching for the mug of coffee. Luhan of course grabbed it before him and held it to Xiumin’s lips to drink from.

“You’re the only guy I know who has cute cheeks.” Luhan responded. 

“What about Lay?” Xiumin asked with a smirk.

“C’mon, dimples are obviously cute. That doesn’t count. I’m just talking about natural cheeks.” Luhan whined in response, offering up yet another meat bun. Xiumin laughed at Luhan’s pouty face. His adorable, little teeth in full view. 

Man Luhan loved those teeth. They were very tiny, almost like baby teeth. Quite unfitting for someone so old and mature. Yet at the same time, they fit perfectly with the man crooked, goofy smile. Xiumin wasn’t much of a smiler, so Luhan always cherished the moments when his owner would get extremely excited or laugh at something so that he could see those wonderfully adorable teeth. One of the reason’s he enjoyed feeding him so much, was because he could get a quick glance at those beauties if only for just a few seconds.

Xiumin’s eyes, his cheeks, his teeth, his face. What did Luhan do to deserve an owner who was so perfect? Everything about him was so beautiful. Sometimes the deer felt like he was living in a dream. A dream where he was showered with adorableness and perfection so much that he never wanted to be woken up.

“Thanks for the treats, Lu. I needed that.” Xiumin said, giving the deer a quick peck on the lips.

“What are you working on, Min?” the deer asked, resting his head on the other’s shoulder.

“Ugh… lots of math.” The man sighed, taking another bite out of some baozi. “I’ve been staring at nothing but numbers all morning.” He said with a pout. Luhan gently licked the man’s hair as he spoke. He had a habit of grooming Xiumin as if his owner were a young hybrid. Xiumin thought it was weird at first, but now simply allowed Luhan to do whatever he pleased.

“You should take a break.” Luhan said, trying not to outwardly coo at his hyung’s adorable pouty face. He kissed the blond man’s round cheeks.

“I can’t Lu-ge. I have to finish this by tomorrow.” Xiumin replied, fighting the deep blush that was creeping up on his face.

“You can take a little nap.” Luhan said, kissing the man in between words.

“Hannie…” Xiumin whined, gently punching Luhan. And the deer had to cover his mouth to avoid squealing. 

“C’mon, just a few minutes.” Luhan asked, blinking with large beautiful eyes. His triangular ears twitched slowly. Xiumin sighed with a smile. He knew there was no way out of this. He was also certain that it would not just be for a few minutes.

“Ok. I’ll take a little break.” The man said, kissing Luhan’s bright pink hair. Without another word, Luhan hoisted Xiumin up, bridal style, and carried him to the couch. The deer set his owner down, gently as ever and quickly joined him. Luhan snuggled up to Xiumin instantly and began nuzzling his face. Xiumin started to run his fingers through Luhan’s hair, but the deer gently pushed his owner’s hand away and reversed their roles. He slid his hand under Xiumin's hat and stroked his blond locks, careful not to accidently damage the flower still perched in his hair, and began quietly singing to him. The short man’s eyes began fluttering closed ever so slightly at the sound of Luhan’s syrupy sweet voice, and within minutes, he was peacefully asleep. And once again, Luhan was back to staring at the man’s sleeping form; soaking in his entire fragrant aura.

So beautiful. Such a beautiful, wonderful man Luhan was blessed to have as his owner. His round, chubby cheeks. His sparkling, enchanting eyes. His precious, pink lips. His gorgeous, golden hair. Luhan couldn’t have asked for anything better. Everything about the man was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I'm Xiuhan trash :P Like I said, I'm really shocked that it took me this long to do a chapter for these cuties. Sorry for the shortness of this chapter. It was just meant to be some nice fluff without plot after all of the sad, angsty chapters recently.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed :)


	8. Big Brother Beagle Beef

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the title is weird, but I couldn't resist the aliteration :P Anyway, here's the next chapter, with plenty of fluff :3

A loud crash of thunder sent shivers up Tao’s spine. The kitten was curled in a ball under a blanket on the living room chair. The kitten mewed quietly, terrified of the heavy downpour that was happening outside. 

It had been raining since the middle of the night and it had only gotten worse as time went on. It was raining so hard that the boys couldn’t even see outside the window. There was nothing but a giant deluge of water that made it impossible to make out any shapes outside. Not to mention that fact that it was extremely dark and gloomy, which just made the atmosphere even more terrifying. A flash of lightning illuminated the house and another boom of thunder sounded. Tao buried himself under the blankets once more.

“Shhh, shhhhh. It’s okay, guys.” Came Kris’s soft voice. He was currently on the sofa, two beagles wrapped around his waist quivering and whining with their tails tucked between their legs. Kris patted the boys’ heads gently, stroking their floppy ears every once in a while. This was always his method of calming the dogs. Unfortunately, it wasn’t having much of an effect in this fearsome storm.

“Ge ge.” Tao mewed. He too wanted some of Kris’s attention and comforting, but the kitty hybrid was so scared that he couldn’t move from his spot. His claws were literally latched into the couch cushions. 

“It’s fine, the rain can’t hurt you.” The tall man said, gently patting Chen and Chanyeol’s backs. His words were directed to everyone, but the fact that he could only touch the beagles made Tao feel a bit left out. He wasn’t that upset though. He understood why Chanyeol and Chen were so scared.

Chanyeol had always been easily frightened, despite his enormous size and loud booming voice that might suggest otherwise. He couldn’t help it though. The pup was a gentle giant and thus tended to react to scary situations by seeking out his friends for comfort, rather than acting like he was braver that he really was. Anytime it so much as started to drizzle, the silver furred beagle would glue himself to Kris’s hip in fear of a worsening storm.

And Chen, well he was part cat of course. And most kitties hated water and loud noise. Though the boy tried to pretend that storms didn’t bother him, he’d always be the one to snuggle up next to his owner or another hybrid to feel safer. Unlike Chanyeol though, Chen would often try to talk up a storm of his own to combat the physical storm outside. Today however, this one was just too loud and scary to fight against.

But Tao too was a cat who scared easily. And he wanted some comfort from the others as well. Alas, Kris was pretty much trapped by the shivering beagles on top of him, and both of them were too scared to even notice Tao in the same predicament. Another part of Tao also sometimes felt that the beagles deserved to be Kris’s priority. They were his first pets after all. Not to mention the issues that happened months back when Tao first moved in with Chanyeol becoming very upset about all the time Kris had been spending with the new kitty. The tall beagle had told Tao time and time again that he was sorry for giving off that impression and that he should never feel bad about spending time with Kris, and that Kris loved all of his pets equally. Still, deep down inside, Tao often got the feeling that he shouldn’t intrude on any interactions between Kris and his puppies.

He couldn’t count the amount of times that he’d gone to look for Kris for some cuddle time, only to leave when he found one or more of the beagles already there. Or times when he’d move aside for one of the beagles to sit next to Kris on the bed when they were watching movies late at night, even when he’d gotten there first. It was animal instinct. The beagles were the first pets so they were higher up in the pack (or pride in Tao's kitty mind), so to speak. It was only respectful for Tao to move and make room for them to be closest to their owner if they wanted. He didn’t really mind it that much. It’s not like he never got cuddles or attention; far from it actually. Everyone showered Tao with love, spoiling him with anything he wanted. But the Li Hua Mao just couldn’t fight those feelings in the back of his mind.

And those feelings were ever so present in the midst of this storm. Any hybrid would want comfort from their owner in this weather. Rain splashed against the windows, thunder crashed every five minutes, and it was simply impossible to ignore. 

Unless you were Baekhyun.

The brunet beagle had been in the kitchen, munching on some treats for the past few hours. (Because what dog wouldn’t take the opportunity to stuff their face with treats while their owner was preoccupied in the next room). Being the eldest pet, he didn’t scare as easily as the others. And even when he was a tad bit frightened, he never showed it. He had to be brave for the younger ones. It was quite common for the short beagle to the one to comfort the others during storms when Kris was at work or out shopping.

The dog finally emerged from the kitchen after his feast for one, totally unaffected by the storm that was going on outside. He passed by the beagle occupied sofa and gave a few comforting licks to Chen and Chanyeol before trotting over to Tao, immediately throwing his weight on top of him. It was obvious he’d probably eaten the entire container of treats, not just from the fact that a bit of his bloated tummy was sticking out from under his shirt. The kitten was used to the shorter beagle using him as a pillow, and instantly noticed how much heavier he felt. Tao let out an aggravated meow in frustration.

Unfortunately his complaints fell on deaf ears. Or rather, they were blocked out by another loud crash of thunder, coupled with a lightning flash. It was probably the loudest boom they’d heard since the rain started and it startled all of them, even Kris. 

Chanyeol was so terrified that he literally shrieked and dashed out of the room. Tao would have done the same if his nails weren’t still stuck in the chair and Baekhyun weren’t crushing him at the moment. Instead he simply buried himself deeper under the covers, meowing frantically.

“Chanyeol!” Kris called. The tall man immediately tried to get up, but Chen, who’d tightened his grip around his owner’s waist and was currently shivering even harder, anchored him to the couch. Kris sighed and hefted Chen into his arms, cooing softly into the boy’s floppy ears. 

“It’s okay Chen Chen. Everything is fine.” Kris whispered. “Stay here and watch Taozi, Baek.”The human said, still very quietly. Baekhyun barked twice in response. 

After a few minutes, Tao slowly poked his head from under the covers. He looked around nervously and sniffed the air. Before he could fully remove himself from the security of the blanket, a wet tongue brushed across his cheek.

“Hey!” the kitten hissed, finally sticking his head out.

“Hey!” Baekhyun mimicked. The brunet puppy loved to mimic his housemates. He especially loved to do it to Tao. The kitten had such a unique voice and tended to say such amusing things that Baekhyun often couldn’t resist. It was especially fun if the boy was irritated. It just made the game even more enjoyable. The beagle had to remember to take it easy however. Tao was sensitive and still struggled with his Korean from time to time, so Baek needed to make sure that he never offended the kitty hybrid.

“You stink!” Tao whined, trying to push Baekhyun off of his back.

“Wae? Excuse me?” the beagle gasped, dramatically putting a hand over his chest.

“You smell like dog food.” The kitten whined again; plopping back down after failing to remove the dog hybrid from his body.

“My treats smell like the same bacon you eat every day.” Baekhyun retorted, bopping the kitten on the head. Tao hissed quietly, and pulled the hood of his hoodie on top of his head, as if to act as a protective shield.

“Get off. You’re too heavy.” Tao meowed. The cat was very strong, despite his very slim form and delicate nature. But a bloated Baekhyun sitting on his back was just a bit uncomfortable.

“No I’m not. I weigh less than you.” The dog retorted, lying his body down on Tao’s back. The kitten sighed, giving up on trying to get Beakhyun off of him. He was more concerned about Kris and the others returning anyway. Unfortunately, his beef hyung didn’t seem intent on quieting down anytime soon.

“Zitao~” The dog sang into one of Tao’s kitty ears, playing with the other in his hand. Tao hissed. He didn’t like when Baekhyun called him by his full name. He wasn’t sure why, it just annoyed him. For some reason, he always felt like the dog was making fun of him.

“Tao.” The Li Hua Mao huffed.

“Ziiiiiiiitaaaaaooooo~”

“Tao.” 

“Zitaozi?” Baekhyun couldn’t help, but chuckle at himself. And Tao just rested his head back on the chair without another word. He wasn’t in the mood to play with Baekhyun at the moment. He really just wanted to be left alone at the moment. Or at least have Kris with him instead.

“Why can’t Kris ge ge be down here?” he muttered.

“Wae? What about me?” Baekhyun asked nuzzling Tao’s head, a huge amount of aegyo in his voice. Normally the kitten would have been giggling at his hyung’s cuteness, but he was too agitated for it right now.

“Ugly beef is annoying.” He said with a scowl.

“How?” Baekhyun asked, putting his face directly next to Tao’s.

“Aish, you’re just so weird.” Tao whined again, pushing the beagle’s face away.

“Aish, you’re just so weird.” Baekhyun mimicked again, chuckling.

Tao was about to argue further before another spray of rain banged against the window, sending shivers up the kitty’s spine. He hissed in fear and buried his face under the covers once again. For a moment, he’d actually completely forgotten about the storm. The kitten was actually surprised that Baekhyun’s antics had managed to distract him so much. He didn’t like the beagle’s teasing, but it did succeed in keeping him from thinking about the scary storm.

“Where did Kris ge go? The boy whined, trying not to tear up. Baekhyun could smell how nervous Tao was and wrapped his arms around the kitten’s shoulders. It was a rather awkward hug, due to their odd positioning, but it managed to calm Tao nonetheless. He remerged from the blankets once the violent rain quieted down. Within minutes, the boy was mewing contently, and it was almost like he and the older dog hadn’t even been bickering mere minutes ago. Tao detached his claws from the chair and turned on his back so that Baekhyun could rest on his stomach and the two could hug each other more comfortably, (not to mention relive Tao's back from the heavy Baek) which the dog of course was happy to oblige to. Soon Baekhyun started to press kisses to Tao’s face and the Li Hua Mao couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. 

“Feel better, Taozi?” The beagle rested his head on the kitten’s chest as he spoke.

“Mmm Hmm. Thanks hyung.” Tao purred.

Somehow, Baekhyun always had the ability to make Tao feel better. It was weird. With the way the cat and dog augured, anyone who didn’t know them wouldn’t think they would never seek each other for comfort of all things. But Baekhyun had to make sure his baby brother was well taken care of, meaning he had to do anything in his power to keep him happy and calm. No one would deny that his methods were a bit unorthodox, though. After all, most people didn’t annoy their friends to take their mind off of a storm. But then again…Baekhyun wasn’t really a coddler. Sure he was a bit easier on Tao that the other dogs, but the eldest hybrid still tended to annoy the kitten as a method of cheering him up, rather than directly comforting him. He was only lucky that it actually worked most of the time.

“I don’t like the raining.” Tao mewled quietly, quite aware that he’d said the sentence wrong.

“No one does.” The dog replied, grooming Tao’s hair as he spoke. The kitten closed his eyes blissfully as he leaned into Baekhyun’s ministrations. It was very calming the way the older hybrid groomed his dongsaengs. His style matched that of a mother hybrid cleaning her kids, which was ironic considering the kind of person Baekhyun was. The soft, motherly cleaning completely contrasted his usual tactics of irritating people.

Tao was absorbed into the experience however, purring softly as the fear that was previously plaguing him slowly left his body. With half lidded eyes, Tao looked up at his hyung. He hadn’t noticed before, but the dog’s brunet hair was incredibly messy, probably the combination of a bad sleep and his wild treat gorge in the kitchen. Without even thinking about it, Tao gently fixed the canine’s wild locks, his soft hands pushing his hyung’s hair into a presentable form. The kitten was very delicate in everything he did. Even though he was a wushu master and could easily beat someone to the ground if he wanted, more often than not, Tao’s actions were very soft and mellow. He had tender hands and interacted with everything else extremely daintily, as if they’d break upon his touch.

“Why aren’t you scared hyung?” Tao whispered.

“Because rain and thunder is just a bunch of noise.” The dog responded in his typically cocky voice.

“Loud noise.” Tao mewed softly, turning his head towards the back of the chair. 

“It can’t hurt us. We’re safe in this house.” Baekhyun said quietly, petting Tao’s head. Tao hummed in response.

“It’s still scary, though.” The kitten said with a shiver. “I want, gege. But he’s with the other doggy hyungs.” A pout adorned Tao’s face as he mumbled his words. He didn’t want to feel angry at the other beagles, but he thought Kris should at least be down there with all of them. Baekhyun pulled the hood off of Tao’s head so as to easily stroke his hair. He softly nuzzled his head into the cat’s cheek. The two remained silent for a minute, hearing only the frightening sounds of the rain, before the beagle spoke up again.

“You know, Chen used to be a stray, right?” The dog asked quietly, his somber tone rather unfitting of his typical mood. And Tao was a bit confused by the question. He knew about Chen’s past, what little he’d actually talk about that is, but he couldn’t imagine why Baekhyun was bringing it up so suddenly.

“Yes.” Tao answered, a confused frown on his face.

“You know what that means, right?”

“He didn’t live in a house.” Tao answered, still unsure about Baekhyun’s intentions.

“It means he didn’t live anywhere.” Baekhyun said sadly.

“Yeah. Strays don’t have houses.” The kitten said with a confused mew, certain that he was well aware of what a stray was. But he still didn’t know what Baekhyun was getting at.

“So when it rained like this…he’d be out there.” The dog said. Tao paused for a minute to soak up what Baekhyun has just said. He’d always known that strays had to live outside, but he’d never once even really thought about them having to be outside in bad weather. It was obvious, but the fact simply never occurred to him. He looked outside at the vicious downpour that was taking place outside. Rain was falling like a waterfall and it was still nearly impossible to see clearly out the window. Leaves and branches were flying through the wind, almost creating the atmosphere of a tornado. The idea of Chen having to be outside during something like this made Tao’s heart sink.

“But it’s…so bad…out there.”

“Yeah.” Baekhyun continued. “And he wouldn’t always be able to find somewhere to stay dry, either.” Tao turned his head back towards the cushion. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes. Yet Baekhyun kept talking.

“Sometimes he have to just sit there while the rain and wind pelted him for hours. Sometimes multiple days in a row. And there was no one there to comfort him or make him feel safe. And no way to quickly dry his clothes after it was over. He got sick a lot and of course he had no access to medicine or anything like that, so…”

“Stop!” Tao shouted, much louder than he wanted to. He was fully crying now just picturing the words coming out of Baekhyun’s mouth. The kitten sniffled and tried to wipe his tears away by rubbing his face against the chair, but his glasses were making that rather difficult. Baekhyun lifted the glasses and dabbed away at Tao’s tears with his sleeve.

“Sorry.” The brunet whispered. Tao knew that it hadn’t been Baekhyun’s intention to make him upset, but he couldn’t help the guilt that he was currently feeling. Just 10 minutes ago, he was mad at Chen and Chanyeol for taking all of Kris’s attention during the storm, but now he wanted to go up there and comfort them too. He wanted to play with Chanyeol and keep his mind off of the scary storm. And he wanted Chen to feel safe, protected, and most of all, loved by his friends. 

“I think…I think that’s really why Chen doesn’t like storms.” Baekhyun whispered into Tao’s pointed kitty ear. “Not just because he’s afraid, but because it brings back all of those bad memories.”

“Sniff…beef hyung…” Tao said softly, still quite sad. 

“It’s okay, kitten.” Baekhyun said with a comforting lick. “I know how you’re feeling. But Chen and Chanyeol didn’t mean to take all of Kris’s time all this morning. ”

“No, it’s not them. They didn’t do anything wrong. I shouldn’t be so selfish.” The kitty mewed. And as if by chance, Kris returned to the living room with the two beagles still latched to his hips.

“Heh, sorry we were gone for so long.” Kris said.

“Yeah, sorry.” Chanyeol mumbled quietly.

“It’s fine.” Baekhyun said, smiling sweetly.

“Are you okay, doggy hyungs?” Tao asked.

“Yes, I feel better now.” Chanyeol said, tail wagging a bit.

“I’m good too.” Chen said, almost meowed. He snuggled closer to Kris’s chest.

“You two look like you were enjoying your time by yourself.” Kris said. And Tao could quickly feel his face becoming warm. He ducked down in the chair so the others couldn’t see his face; not that it made a difference considering the super intimate position he and Baekhyun were in.

“Of course they were.” Chanyeol giggled. He resumed his original position, head in Kris’s lap. “Taozi loves being pampered by Baek hyung.”

“And Beakkie loves to pamper TaoTao.” Chen added.

“What? No way, this brat is so annoying.” Baekhyun laughed. And Tao playfully bit at the beagle’s nose. The others joined in with Baekhyun’s laughter as well, but were immediately stopped by another loud boom of thunder. Chanyeol’s whimpers echoed throughout the room as he snuggled even closer to Kris. Chen whined for a few seconds before closing his eyes and calmly laying his head on top of Chanyeol’s. It was an action that always calmed him, bringing back memories of being snuggled up with his mother and littermates. Tao buried himself under the covers once more, but his beagle buddy was quick to coo at him comfortingly. 

“You want to come and sit over here, Taozi?” Kris asked, patting the edge of the sofa. Chanyeol pressed his body closer to Kris; an attempt to make room for Tao should he decide to go over.

“Um…” Tao paused. For that entire morning, all Tao wanted to have some attention and comforting from Kris, but now he knew that Chen and Chanyeol needed their owner more at that moment. Plus...deep down, he really didn't want to leave Baekhyun's side just yet. He'd truly been enjoying the beagle's hug and playfun antics and wasn't ready for it to end. “No, I’m okay.” The kitten mewed with a smile.

“Are you sure?” the tall blond asked again, just to be sure.

“Yes gege. Ugly dog hyung is a nice blanket.” Tao giggled.

“Wae?!” Baekhyun whined, playfully biting at Tao’s face. And the kitten responded to the distracting game, battling at the beagle’s hair and chewing on his ears.

“Aish…these kids.” Kris sighed, smiling at the silly duo. 

Tao giggled and continued playing with Baekhyun. Sure the beagle could be annoying at times, but Tao knew that it was out of love. And with how much Baekhyun annoyed him, it was clear that he loved the kitten a lot, and the thought caused a huge smile to spread across Tao’s lips.

“Aigoo, what are you smiling at?” Baekhyun asked.

“Hee hee, nothing.” Tao giggled, giving the canine a quick kitty kiss. And a rare blush formed on Baekyun’s face.

'Thank you Beef hyung'. Thank you for always caring for me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm usually a Taoris shipper, but I've got a serious weakness for Baektao. They're just so adorable together and it was always cute when Baekhyun took care of Tao.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading. You can expect more short, fluffly, less plot oriented chapters like these for the upcomming ones. I have a lot of cute ideas and can't wait to actually get them on paper. I'll try to make them as long as possible though, even if that means just peppering them up with more fluff :3 Hope you all enjoyed :)


	9. Wu Fan Gogh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We haven't had a Krisyeol in a while. So here you go :)

It was just another beautiful day in the Wu household. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the musical stylings of Drake played quietly in the background. It was a wonderful day for Kris to engage in one of his greatest passions. The tall man was sitting at the edge of the couch, a large easel in front of him. He was currently ‘organizing’ some paintbrushes and other painting materials on the table in front of him. It had only been Kris and Tao in the room for a while. The sweet baby was asleep, peacefully curled up in a ball behind Kris, which is why he was pressed so closely to the edge. He was clutching both Ace and Baby into his arm’s, using them as pillows, a truly adorable sight. But it wasn’t long before Chanyeol padded into the living room on all fours and joined the duo , smiling as soon as his caught sight of his gorgeous owner. But of course being the dorky, klutz that he was, Kris immediately dropped all bushes and paint tubes all over the floor as soon as his dog made it into the room. Upon reaching to pick all of his items up, the blond nearly knocked over his easel. Sometimes it was hard having such long limbs. Chanyeol simply giggled at the man. And Kris blushed redder than D.O.’s hair.

It wasn’t a secret that Kris loved art, but honestly, the hybrids were taken a bit off guard when they first heard about their owner’s passion. He just didn’t strike them as the artsy type. Then again, he also didn’t strike people as a goofy klutz who loved cute hybrids and was afraid of a vegetable.

“Hello hyung.” Chanyeol barked as he strolled over to his owner. Upon reaching the sofa, he noticed that Tao was also on top on it. It always amazed Chanyeol how long and how frequently cat hybrids slept during the day. Luckily the Li Hua Mao was a rather heavy sleeper and wasn’t deterred by his hyung’s bark.

“Hey Yeollie.” Kris said, lovingly patting his puppy’s silver hair and playing with his ears. Chanyeol wagged his tail rapidly, loving the feeling of his owner’s large hands in his fur. “What’s up, pup?” The man was whispering his words, obviously trying not to disturb Tao.

“What are you doing, hyung? Are you about to paint a picture? Oh…what are you painting? Are you going to paint something in particular? Or someone. Ooooh, why don’t you paint me hyung!” Puppyeol spilled out one question after another and Kris barely had time to register each one, let alone respond. Plus he was to distracted with picking up his fallen materials.

“Geez, slow down Yeollie, I just….Chanyeol!” Kris shouted, totally forgetting about his kitty being asleep. But at that moment, Kris wasn’t really concerned about disturbing Tao. 

Chanyeol was currently laying on the chair across from the couch, his long legs high in the air, so much so that his back was no longer touching the cushion of the chair. Kris hadn’t even noticed the beagle go over to the chair, let alone get into that very painful looking and incredibly dangerous position.

“Paint me, hyung!” The beagle barked happily. Kris immediately went over and pulled Chanyeol into a normal sitting position.

“What on earth is the matter with you Chanyeol? Don’t you know how dangerous that is?” Kris scolded fiercely. And Chanyeol sank lower onto the chair, his tail twitching between his legs.

“Hyung…” the boy whimpered.

“Don’t ‘hyung’ me! You could have really hurt your back or fallen on the floor! Don’t do that ever again, do you understand me!” Kris shouted. Chanyeol could only nod. He could feel the tears pooling up in his eyes.

“Chanyeol, don’t.” Kris said, a softer tone on his lips.

“I…I’m sorry…Kris hyung.” Chanyeol whimpered, the tears falling uncontrollably.

“Cànliè…” The blond man sighed. He sat down next to his pup on the chair, despite the lack of room, and pulled him into a hug.

“I’m…sniff, sorry hyung. I…I just sniff, wanted to help you with your painting.” The dog shivered as he cried. He hated when Kris was upset with him, but even more than that…he couldn’t take when the man yelled at him. If wasn’t a negative feeling towards Kris however, but himself. If he made the man so mad that he yelled at him…he felt like a horrible, horrible pet. No hybrid should ever make their owner so mad that they yell at them. And Kris knew that the dog felt that way. That’s why he usually tried everything in his power to never ever raise his voice to the hybrid no matter what he did. But the sight on his precious pup in such a dangerous predicament unleashed a different side of him. Guilt instantly swept over Kris as he looked at the teary eyed dog.

“Chanyeol, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you like that.” Kris said, rubbing the puppy’s back, mainly still worried that he’d possibly hurt himself. “It’s just… you scared me. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’m sorry.” Chanyeol repeated, still shivering. His tail was still twitching between his legs. Kris gently grabbed the long silver tail, and pulled out from his legs. He wasn’t sure if it would actually remove the puppy’s fear, but at the moment he couldn’t really think of anything else to do.

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted so harshly.” The man’s voice had returned to a whisper. He continued gently rubbing Chanyeol’s back. The duo sat in silence for a minute before the human spoke up. “Are you mad at me?”

“No. Never.” Chanyeol said, surprise evident in his tone. “I…I just don’t like to make you upset, Kris hyung.”

“I’m not upset, just worried. I don’t know what I’d do if you ever hurt yourself, Yeollie.”

“I didn’t mean to make you worry. I’ll be more careful, hyung.” Chanyeol’s voice was very soft and serious. He really did feel bad about making his owner so afraid. 

Kris backed out of the hug and looked Chanyeol in the eyes. He smiled endearingly at his sweet beagle and placed a sweet kiss on his lips. Kris pulled him the dog to his feet and walked him over to the couch, right back where Kris had started. 

“Are you okay, Canlie?” Kris asked. He gently rubbed the pup’s ears as he spoke.

“Yes hyung. I’m okay.”

“Good.” Kris’s gummy smile stretched across his face. And of course Chanyeol couldn’t stop the smile that stared spreading on his own lips. He simply adored his owner’s bright, gummy smile. It always brightened his mood, no matter what the situation.

Kris sighed internally. He didn’t know how that situation escalated so quickly. One second he was thinking about what he wanted to paint. The next second, he was yelling at Chanyeol for scaring the hell out of him. He didn’t mean to scare the poor boy. But the idea of Chanyeol falling off of the chair and injuring himself completely clouded any sensibilities in his mind. All that mattered was keeping his beagle from getting hurt. Hopefully he could cheer him up by letting him watch the painting unfold. He knew how much Chanyeol loved watching him draw or paint, even through Kris's still weren't that advanced. 

“So…um…what are you going to paint hyung?” Chanyeol still seemed genuinely curious about what Kris was planning on painting. 

“Heh, I actually didn’t have any ideas.” The tall man chuckled.

“Huh?” Chanyeol tilted his head and raised one of his ears, sporting probably the cutest confused puppy look on the planet. “

“I was just going to start painting randomly and let an idea come to me.” Kris set opened all of his paint tubes as he spoke. “Ya know, abstract stuff.”

“Abstract?”

“It’s a special kind of painting. It doesn’t necessarily need to look like something in particular, but it can still turn out really pretty.”

“Oh.” Chanyeol nodded his head. At that moment, Tao began stirring in his sleep, probably dreaming of something. Immediately Chanyeol turned around and started licking the kitty’s hair. He gently, caressed the young boy’s fur and face until he fell back into his peaceful slumber.

“What was up?” Kris asked casually. This was a pretty frequent event, so he didn’t find it weird when Tao had his little moments. The hybrids of course could sense each others' distress, even if the other was sleeping, and would always immediately jump in to provide comfort. 

“Just a little nightmare, maybe.” Chanyeol replied, giving Tao one last final comforting lick before turning around and resting his head next to Kris’s leg. “I think he’s good now.”

Kris couldn’t stop himself from smiling wildly at the scene behind him. He just loved how gentle and brotherly his hybrids were with each other; particularly the beagles’ interactions with Tao.

“Thanks Yeollie.” Kris said, ruffling the dog’s silver fur. Chanyeol nuzzled his head into his owner’s hand and began panting happily. The blond man quickly became lost in petting his adorable pup. Kris was sure that the dog was deep in a trance as well, before he suddenly sat up. 

“Ooooh, Kris. Why don’t you paint Ace?”

“Ace? How come?”

“Because he’s cute.” Chanyeol barked, licking Kris’s cheek. “Ooooooh, you should paint him with the necklace too.” 

Kris placed his hand over the crimson phoenix necklace around his neck. He’d been wearing it every day since Chanyeol had gotten it for him on Christmas. To Kris, his necklace was the equivalent of his hybrids’ collars. There was rarely a moment where he didn’t have it on. He'd actually forgotten the fact that Ace had been presented to him wearing the treasured accesory.

“I guess I could try.” Kris said, rather nervously. Painting a simplistic toy like his precious alpaca shouldn’t have been too hard, but the necklace added a bit of complexity that Kris wasn’t sure he could handle. Plus the fact that Chanyeol would be watching him only made him even more nervous. Sure the pup didn’t know much about painting in general, but Kris suffered from ‘I must always look cool in front of Yeollie or else’ syndrome.

Kris looked at the silver puppy on his lap, his large eyes looking at him pleadingly. Almost begging him to say yes.

“Alright, I’ll paint them.” The blond man said. Chanyeol licked his owner’s face happily before lying back against his leg.

“Oh boy! Oh boy! Hurry hyung! Paint him! Paint him!” Chanyeol barked, his entire body wriggling with joy. The beagle’s tail was thumping wildly against the sofa. Kris grabbed the energetic pup and gently held him in place. He put his finger to his lips and pointed at the sleeping kitty behind them, who luckily still hadn’t been disturbed by Chanyeol’s antics.

“Easy boy. Remember, Taozi’s sleeping.” He whispered. The dog hybrid instantly paused, and sank his body against Kris. He slowly turned around and was relieved to see the kitten still peacefully asleep, clutching the husky toy. 

“Sorry Taozi.” Chanyeol whispered, patting Tao’s butt gently.

“Inside voice for now, Yeolie.” Kris said. Chanyeol nodded. Kris slowly and gently pulled Ace from behind Tao’s back, the kitten had released him during his little night scare, and set him on the coffee table. He then put his phoenix necklace around the toy’s neck and set him up in the position he wanted to paint them.

“Alright. Now let’s do this.” The tall human whispered. 

To say that Kris was stressing out would be an understatement. He felt like his heart was slamming into his chest. His palms were so sweaty he was scared the paintbrush would slip out of his hands. He was sure he’d taken far too many long pauses to be considered normal. The man was only lucky that his puppy knew nothing about painting, otherwise he’s sure he’d be getting hammered with questions by now.

But Kris couldn’t help it. He simply couldn’t remain calm with Chanyeol laying on his lap, watching him paint up close. The thought of making a stupid mistake and looking like a noob in front of his cute puppy was so nerve-wracking. Chanyeol looked up to his owner almost as a teacher. He expected Kris to be talented and knowledgeable about literally everything, despite the fact that that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Heck, with all of the times Kris has answered a question with “I don’t know”, “Huh?”, or “Eh?”, one would probably already assume he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. Of course Kris wasn’t dumb by any means; he just didn’t always have an answer for every question.

But one of the things he loved about his relationship with Chanyeol was how much the puppy admired him. The way his eyes lit up whenever Kris explained something new to him or taught him how to do something. And the way he’d be full of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ when Kris did something Chanyeol found to be exceptionally amazing, no matter how simple it really was. The tall man would never be able to hold back a gummy smile at his beagle’s wagging tail and shining eyes.

Which is why he was so nervous at the mere thought of screwing up his painting in front of the boy. Kris was so lost in his paranoid filled thoughts that he didn’t notice that Chanyeol was speaking to him.

“Huh?” the man asked, probably sounding like an idiot.

“I said, when will he start to look like Ace?” Chanyeol repeated, his tail thumping gently against the edge of the sofa.

“Oh well…uh…” Kris stared at the canvas in front of him, which currently displayed nothing other than a white blob. 'Oh yeah. Real nice, Yifan. Perfect Van Gogh material right there.' The man thought to himself.

“Do his face now, hyung. Pleeeeaaaaseeee.” The puppy whined, huge eyes blinking beautifully at his owner. 

“His face?” Truthfully, Kris shouldn’t have been nervous. The stuffed alpaca’s ‘face’ consisted of two dots for eyes and probably the simplest mouth for a toy on the planet. A 5 year old could paint Ace’s face flawlessly. And that was precisely the reason why Kris was freaking out. If he messed up something a child could do, he’d look like a total loser.

“Yeah, and his little hat.”

“Mmrroww. Hat.” Tao mewed quietly; talking in his sleep as usual. Chanyeol gave the kitty a quick pat on the head.

“Sure. I’ll teach you how to do it.” Kris said, staring blankly at the canvas. He was too nervous to look Chanyeol in the eyes.

'Why would you say that, you idiot? Now you can’t mess up.' The man scolded himself.

“Really?” the silver puppy’s eyes gleamed in delight. 

“Sure, it’s easy.” And Kris mentally smacked himself.

'I hate you, Yifan.'

Chanyeol, completely obvious to his owner’s internal argument, seemed thrilled at the idea of his owner teaching him to paint. Kris knew he couldn’t screw this up. He took a deep breath and dipped his paintbrush into the paint. The yellow paint.

“Okay so first you need to…” Kris began, voice cracking instantly.

“Kris?” Chanyeol interrupted quietly. Kris thanked the heavens that Chanyeol cut him off before he had the opportunity to say something stupid.  
“Yeah, Yeollie?” 

“Why are you using yellow?” 

'D’oh'

Kris would have facepalmed if he weren’t holding the paintbrush in his hand. He wasn’t that clumsy to splat paint on his face.

“Oh well, um…” Kris stuttered, trying to think of a quick way to get out of his mess. “If you take the yellow and mix it with, pink and uh…then with blue it’ll make black.” Kris dipped the brush into each color as he said it, slowly creating his desired color.

“It does?” Chanyeol looked at his owner like a child watching a magician doing a magic trick. And just as Kris had said, the paint did indeed become black.

“Yeah, when you mix certain colors together, you get a new once. In this case, black.” Kris painted the two small dots that were Ace’s eyes perfectly as he finished his explanation.

“Woooooow.” Chanyeol’s mouth formed a perfect ‘o’ as he watched his owner’s hand with unblinking eyes. “But why don’t you just use the black paint?”

“Well, you can do that. But real artists, mix their own colors.” Kris couldn’t help the snooty tone. He didn’t want to seem like he was bragging or anything. He just loved the awe struck eyes Chanyeol gave him whenever he was impressed.

“Hyung is so cool.” Chanyeol hummed, snuggling into Kris’s tummy. (Kris had abs. An entire five pack actually! He just hadn’t worked out it a while.) The tall male smiled at his adoring pup, the nervousness he’d been harboring this entire time soon fading away.

Kris continued with the painting like a pro; demonstrating how to properly paint Ace’s pirate hat and his large ears. Chanyeol simply watched with excited puppy eyes, asking question after question during the entire process. And Kris was of course more than happy to entertain his hybrid with answers.

“How do you make him look fluffy?”

“Just mimic the appearance of the toy material. Like this…”

“Wow, he looks so real. Almost like he’s in 3D.”

“Yeah. When you add the shades, it looks like there’s depth.”

“How are you going to do his pink jacket?”

“All you need to do is paint it around his body and it’ll look like he’s wearing it.”

“You’re just like a real artist.” 

“Artisssst, mwrrrow.” Tao mewed. Chanyeol giggled. 

Kris had finished painting the alpaca quite quickly once he got into the vibe. Chanyeol’s encouraging words were also helpful for making the process go much smoother. But now came the part Kris had been dreading. The phoenix necklace. Kris had never painted anything so complex before. Plus having to properly put it as an accessory around Ace’s neck would be an even greater challenge. But the blond man couldn’t chicken out now. He’d made it too far. The silver puppy was already expecting a masterpiece.

“Well…only one thing left. Right?” Kris began nervously. He tried not to let it show, but it was obvious to anyone that he wasn’t 100% confident. Chanyeol could probably use his dog senses to tell him that without even looking at Kris.

“The necklace.” The pup said, his voice a bit quieter than before.

“Yeah.” Kris couldn’t hold off. He had to start before Chanyeol started questioning him. “Well, here we go…” Kris dipped the brush in some water, swirling it around in slow, gentle circles. He didn’t remove he brush until all of the pink paint had come off.

'Just do it. Just start painting.'

He pulled the brush out of the water and wrapped it in a small napkin. He dabbed at it for about 40 seconds before deeming it dry enough and setting down the napkin.

'Just get on with it Wu!'

The man slowly dipped the tip of the brush in the crimson paint. He picked up ever the smallest amount of the substance. Slowly, he lifted up the brush, aiming right for Ace’s neck. He was mere centimeters from the alpaca’s neck. And then. 

“Hyung, wait!” Chanyeol grabbed Kris’s elbow and pulled his arm down. Kris didn’t know if he wanted to ask Chanyeol what was up or just sigh in relief and not say a thing. In his sheer confusion, he chose the former.

“Um, what’s up…pup?” The blond asked after a few seconds.

“Well, shouldn’t you let him dry for a bit before you add the necklace? Um…so he won’t smudge.” Chanyeol’s words held a bit of uncertainty behind them. Almost as if there was something more that he wanted to say.

“Huh? Oh. Oh yeah. Yeah, let’s put him by the sun to dry for a bit. Then I can add the necklace later.” Kris grabbed the painting and tried to walk over to the window as calmly as possible, because he was jumping for joy on the inside. He was so glad that he had some more time to spare before he’d have to paint the super detailed necklace.

The tall man returned to the sofa where the beagle had his arms open for a hug. Natually, Kris made his way into his puppy’s arms, where he received a huge flurry of doggy kisses.

“I love when we get to spend time like this.” Chaneyol hummed softly. He gently nuzzled his head into face, filling the man’s nostrils with his fluffy silver fur. 

“I do too. It’s nice to spend time with everyone, but I like these moments between just the two of us just the same.” Kris pressed a kiss to his beautiful hybrid’s nose. “By the way, what are Chen and Baekhyun doing? I feel like I haven’t seen them all day.”

“I think they went to the park.”

“They left?”

“They were upstairs cuddling and making out for the longest time, but they headed out like 20 minutes ago.”

“I didn’t even hear that.” Kris was dumbfounded. He couldn’t believe that he actually missed his hybrids leaving his home. 

“You were really caught up in your painting.” Chanyeol giggled. He was trying to lighten the mood. He knew that Kris was feeling a bit uncomfortable. The man would have felt better if he’d heard the other dogs leave and bid them farewell, but the fact that his hybrids left house while he was totally unaware of the fact just made him a bit uneasy. A soft hand placing itself on top of his own made Kris snap back to reality.

“They’ll be fine, hyung.” Chanyeol said with a warm smile. He rubbed his cold nose against Kris’s, eliciting a slight chuckle from the older male who couldn’t hold back his smile.

“You’re right, Yeolllie.” 

“Chanyeollie…doggy…” Tao purred. The snuggling duo giggled at their younger housemate. Kris scratched the kitten behind his ears, causing him to let out more content purrs. The three giants relaxed on the couch in peaceful silence (minus the sounds of Tao purring), with Kris and Chanyeol slowly getting sleepier by the minute. After around 10 minutes, the beagle hybrid finally spoke up.

“Kris?” The puppy whispered, playing with his fingers as he spoke.

“Yeah?” the man yawned.

“Um…can we just leave Ace the way he is?” Chanyeol’s question actually snapped Kris into a more awakened state.

“Huh?”

“Can you…not paint the necklace on Ace?” the pup whispered again.

“What? But why? I thought you wanted him to wear it?”

“I did, at first. But now…I dunno. I think he looks good just the way he is.” Kris could almost feel that there was something more to Chanyeol’s new request. And just as he was about to ask, Chanyeol continued. “And…well…”

“Yes, Chanyeol?” Kris asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I… The necklace is supposed to show my love for you. I’d rather see you paint a picture of yourself wearing it.” The beagle’s face blushed as red as the necklace itself once he finally finished speaking. And his owner’s face was no different. The two men averted their eyes for a few minutes before meeting once more.

“Oh. Well…” Kris reached over to the table and pulled the stuffed alpaca into his arms. The man took the necklace off of the toy and put it back in its desired spot around his neck. He smiled at his puppy, causing the boy to blush even harder.

“You look pretty, hyung.” Chanyeol whispered, his eyes on his lap. Kris placed two fingers under Chanyeol’s chin and pulled his face up so that their eyes met. Slowly, Kris moved Ace back into his spot behind Tao’s head, removing the barrier in between him and the dog. Without any words, the two men linked lips, their passions bursting in a deep, loving kiss.

“This necklace is my 5th most prized position.” Kris said. “Thank you for buying it for me.” He placed another kiss to Chanyeol’s lips.

“5th?” Chanyeol questioned with a tilted head.

“You, Tao, Baek, and Chen are the others.” The man kissed the pup after each name as he spoke. Chanyeol grinned again and gave his owner a gentle lick on the cheek.

“I can’t wait to see you paint yourself with it.” The dog hummed, leaning his head on top of his owner’s.

“Me neither.” Kris said softly, caressing the dog’s ears.

'Wait, what?!'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, why can't I write good Krisyeols :( Sorry if the beginning was weird. Originally this was from Chanyeol's POV, but I changed it to Kris's early on since we hadn't really had a chapter that was fully from Kris's POV only. So if something seems weird...that's why. Also, sorry if the part where Kris yells at Chanyeol seems kind of random. Originally it was going to go a different way, but I didn't think Kris would be so calm about Chanyeol being in a dangerous position like that so I made him get super overprotective. But I know it seems kind of odd.
> 
> Here's the image reference for Chanyeol's dangerous position. (https://instagram.fbkk5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/14716604_1818305578419916_3099177267545243648_n.jpgimage)
> 
> I'll try to do better with the next one. Thanks to everyone who's been reading though :)


	10. Sleep Over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm late today, but it's been really weird all day. But hopefully some nice fluff will make up for the wait :3

“Would you like some more bubble tea?” Lay asked the unicorn sitting at the table next to him. The creature nodded happily, it’s rainbow colored mane flying in the wind.

“You know, you remind me a lot of my best friend.” The rabbit said, pouring the drink. The unicorn tilted its head to the side.

“Yeah. He has rainbow hair and loves bubble tea too.” Lay giggled, petting the magical horse as it lapped up the drink. But then the sound of a snort followed by a small just of wind on his neck had him shivering feverously.

“Aish. Aigoo, you know I don’t like that.” Lay whined. He pouted at the gorgeous red unicorn sitting to his right. The creature looked quite irritated for such an adorable little pony. “Oh, I’m sorry. Here’s your tea.” 

The small, snarky pony huffed once more before drinking his tea as well.

“Anyone else want some?” Lay offered, raising the teapot.

“Hyung!” A loud voice sounded from the skies. 

“Huh?” Lay raised his tall bunny ears to their maximum height. He turned his head in all directions trying to find the source of the noise, but found nothing. “What was that? Did you guys hear that?”

Lay’s question unfortunately fell on deaf ears, as the unicorns were too busy indulging in their tea to respond.

“Hyung, get up!”

“Sehunnie?” Lay questioned. He was sure that was his kitty’s voice.

“Yithing hyung, c’mon. I need you!"

Lay snapped awake at his kitten’s call. He lunged up, clutching one of his favorite unicorn plushies. Several others decorated his sleeping space in his little den. In front of the bunny sat a very irritated looking Ragdoll kitten with folded arms and a huge pout on his face.

“Sehun? What’s wrong?” Lay asked, alert eyes immediately drooping once he caught Sehun in his sight.

“Whath’s wrong? I can’t sthleep! And ith’s all your fault.”

“My fault?” Lay’s left rabbit ear flopped on top of his head, almost as if the ear was just as confused as he was.

“Yesth, your fault!” The kitten hissed, pulling the unicorn toy out of his older housemate’s arms. The bunny stared at the kitten for a few moments, clearly spacing out as usual, before pulling another unicorn plush into his arms. He kissed the toy gently, nuzzling into its artificial fur.

“Hyung!” Sehun said in a half whisper, seemingly trying to keep his voice down.

“Huh. Oh, hi Sehun. What are you doing awake at this hour?” Lay smiled sweetly at his young friend, but the kitten seemed ready to pull his hair out.

“Aish, why do I even bother!” Sehun whined, turning away from Lay. A childish pout decorated his face once again.

“Oh Hunnie. What’s wrong?” Lay asked, pulling his kitten into a backhug.

“I was justh trying to sthleep, and then you woke me up with all of your mumbling.” The cat huffed, slowly leaning back into the bunny’s hug. Lay’s jaw dropped upon hearing Sehun’s words.

“I woke you up? I’m so sorry, Hun.” Lay said, rubbing his face against the kitten’s. Sehun stayed put for a minute, seeming to enjoy the contact for a while, before pushing Lay away with a growl.

“You have to help me get back to sthleep now!” The kitty pouted.

“Yes~” Lay said quietly. But how would he do it? After all, Sehun wasn’t one to fall asleep so easily once he’d been woken up. Mainly because he spent so much time whining about how he’d been woken up instead of trying to get back to sleep. But still, Lay woke his kitty up, and he was going to do whatever he could to help him get back to his peaceful slumber. Then he could get back to his tea party. After the 2 minute space out, Lay spoke up. “Stay here, I’ll go get you some milk.” The bunny hybrid pressesd a quick kiss to Sehun’s rainbow hair before crawling out of his den and heading to the kitchen.

"Hmph. And you better not sthpace out while your down there!" the kitten meowed.

 

The sound of milk heating up in the microwave was the only thing keeping Lay from falling asleep. He’d been nodding off every few seconds and was desperately trying to keep himself awake. He had to stay awake for his Sehun. 

'I feel so guilty. I can’t believe I woke him up like that. The poor baby just wanted to get a good night’s sleep, and I ruined it with my sleep talking. Now he’s all grouchy and upset. He’s so upset that he’s lisping. Actually, that’s weird, because Sehun usually only lisps when he’s lying. I wonder why he was lisping so much up there. Hm… Must be because he’s so tired. His poor, sleepy brain can’t even remember than he shouldn’t be lisping right now. Poor kitty.'

Lay finished his internal monologue at the sound of the microwave beeping. He quickly opened it so the noise wouldn’t wake Suho. Unfortunately the glass was very warm to the touch, causing the bunny to burn his sensitive hands.

“Owie.” Lay licked his sore fingers and grabbed an oven mit with his free hand. “I better get this to Sehun quick.” Lay hastily headed back upstairs, trying to move as quickly, yet quietly as possible. He blew the milk every few seconds, knowing Sehun wouldn't want it if it was too hot. And any extra complaining would only keep the kitty awake longer.

Lay returned to his room and crawled back into his den, surprised to see Sehun rubbing his scent all over his unicorn plushies. 

“Hunnie?” Lay asked, head tilted and ears raised to their peak. The Ragdoll shot up upon hearing his housemate’s voice.

“Yah, what took you stho long.” The kitten asked, hands placed firmly on his hips. “You sthpaced out again didn’t you?” Sehun pointed an accusing finger at the older male. Lay hung his head sadly, ears flopping back down.

“Yes.” 

“Hmph. It’ll be like thix in the morning, before I get back to slthleep.”

“Sorry. Here’s your milk.” Lay said, holding out the glass to the boy.

“Aigoo, you should feed it to me. Iths only fair thince you woke me up.” The cat hissed quietly. Lay nodded, utterly confused by the kitten’s request, as Sehun hated when Lay fed him. Normally he’d turn away and whine if the rabbit so much as tried to blow his food for him. But his lisp seemed to be getting stronger, meaning he must have been really sleepy. He needed the milk urgently. No time to question anything.

“Okay. Come here.” Lay said, patting his lap. Sehun snuggled up to the lagamorph without question and opened his mouth for the milk. Lay blew the drink softly before lifting the glass to his friend’s lips. Strangely, instead of just sipping the milk normally, Sehun began lapping it up with his tongue. It was cat-like for sure, but an action that Sehun never really did. It was only if he was savoring something that he really enjoyed, like bubble tea, that he’d do such a thing. But normally he didn’t like to prolong his meals.

Lay didn’t mention anything about it, figuring that Sehun’s brain was simply too tired to remember that the kitten typically didn’t eat so slowly.

“Feel sleepy yet?” Lay asked, a gentle smile on his face. Sehun paused his drinking for a second, seemingly thing of a response, before pushing the glass away.

“Yah, how am I thupposed to be tired with you hovering over me?” The kitten asked, letting out a small yawn. “This milk isn’t working. You need to do thomething else.” Sehun pouted.

“But milk always puts you to sleep.”

“Well, iths not right now.” The kitten huffed.

“Okay, Hunnie.” Lay sighed, finishing the milk himself. “What would you like now?”

“You’re sthupoosthed to figure that out yourthelf.”

“Me? Oh, well…um, how about a massage?” 

“A massage? How is rubbing on me going to help me get to sthleep?”

“It’ll relax you. C’mon, lay down next to Mr. Unicorn.” Lay patted the space next to him where a large purple unicorn toy sat contently.

“I thought that green one’s name was Mr. Unicorn.” Sehun mumbled, laying down next to the older hybrid and his toy. Lay had so many unicorn plushies that Sehun couldn’t even understand how Lay even remembered them all. He was already confused by the fact that a 23 year old man bunny named his toys.

“No, that’s unicorn hyung. He’s the only one who's older than me.” Lay hummed with a dreamy look on his face. Sehun just rolled his eyes, trying not to think about the fact that Lay also gave his toys ages.

“Can we get this over with already?” Lay nodded and slowly began massaging the kitten. He started by gently caressing the boys fluffy white ears. The rabbit’s dainty hands made Sehun go numb at the simplest touch, fully embracing his Ragdoll nature. Lay then moved onto his cheeks, moving his hands in slow circular motions. The kitten’s eyes fluttered ever so gently, and Lay pressed a soft kiss on each of them.

“I’m sorry for waking you up, Hunnie.” Lay said, moving to Sehun’s fluffy tail, gently smoothing out the furs.

“Mrrow…”

“You’ll be asleep soon.” 

“Sthleep sthoon?” the kitten yawned. His eyes were nearly closed.

“And then you’ll finally stop lisping.” Lay hummed.

“Lisssssspppiiiiiing….?” Sehun slurred, half asleep.

“And then I can go back to my tea party.” The bunny said happily.

“Huh, what?” All of a sudden, Sehun pushed his hyung’s hands away and sat up quickly. “Hey!”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“This isn’t working either!” The cat hissed. And Lay’s ears flopped in confusion once more.

“But, but…you were almost asleep.” 

“No! This ithn’t good enough!” Sehun pouted once more. “We need to try thomething else.”

“But Sehun, it’s already been almost 30 minutes.” Lay said softly.

“And I’m thill not tired.” 

“Oh. Hm.”

'Why isn’t anything working? Sehun never takes this long to fall asleep. And he’s still lisping. His brain is still tired even after that massage. Poor kitty. I need to do something. Maybe Suho hyung will have an idea! Oh…no, he’s sleeping. I shouldn’t wake him up just to help Sehun fall asleep. Then he might have trouble getting back to sleep. Plus, I shouldn’t make hyung fix my problems. But what should I do? Milk didn’t work. A massage didn’t work. What will put my Sehunnie to sleep?'

“Hyung!” 

Sehun’s loud hiss snapped Lay out of his trance. His long ears flew everywhere as the man shook himself into alertness.

“Sorry.” He said sadly.

“I’m sthill not sthleepy.”

“You’re still lisping, too.”

“Forget about that! I need my beauty resth, now!” Sehun folded his arms in frustration. “So what do you plan to do now?

“Hm? How about a song?”

“Huh, a thong?”

“Yeah, a song. A little lullaby.” Lay smiled fondly at the boy. Sehun always found comfort in the older man’s singing, even if he’d never actually admit to it. He'd fall into a blissful state, totally undisturbed by anything else around him and just let himself be taken away by Lay's voice.

“Hmph. I don’t think it’ll work, but whatever. Go ahead.”

And so, Sehun curled up in Lay’s lap, his tail wrapped around his waist. And Lay began softly petting the boy’s hair. He caressed his ears and gently massaged his scalp. The rabbit lowered his head to the kitten’s fuzzy ears. From the close distance, Lay could just make out the quiet purring from the younger. He gave the boy a quick face nuzzle before he let the music flow from his mouth.

It was a Manarin song that always put Sehun to sleep. Even in the middle of the day it succeeded in bringing the boy into a peaceful slumber. Though the kitten couldn’t really understand what the song was about, he found the harmony to by quite calming and enjoyable. The melodious tune sailed through the kitten’s ears, serenading him into a trace. He nodded his head every so often, almost as if he were trying to fight off the sleepiness. A few harmonious notes and a couple of yawns later, however, and the Ragdoll was no longer able to resist the lullaby and fell peacefully asleep. Lay pressed a soft kiss to the younger hybrid’s temple, before tucking him in.

“Goodnight my little angel.” Was the last thing Lay said before he joined him in slumber; surrounded by his sea of stuffed unicorns.

 

Lay woke up to the sound of water running downstairs. The bunny slowly sat up, cutely rubbing at his half lidded eyes. He was still a bit tired from having to help Sehun get to sleep throughout the night, but it was well worth it to spend more time with his kitty. Lay looked at the hybrid beside him, still out like a light, hugging his tail to his chest. 

Lay couldn’t help but take some time to gaze at the younger, yet taller boy. He was so peaceful when he slept, and it was one of the few times were Lay was able to indulge in his beauty without the other hissing at him. The lagomorph gently stoked the baby’s hair, cooing at him in a soft whisper. Thanks to his large ears, he was just able to make out a few quiet purrs. 

After about 5 minutes, Lay decided to let Sehun finish his well needed sleep by himself. The older male grabbed Unicorn hyung, crawled out of the cushion den, and bounded downstairs to greet his owner.

“Good morning, Myeon hyung.” Lay chirped, upon arriving into the kitchen. Suho greeted him with a warm smile and engulfed him into a long, warm hug.

“Good morning Yixing.” Suho gave the bunny a loving kiss on each cheek, directly on top of his adorable dimples. “Is Sehun still asleep?”

“Yeah. He’ll probably be out for a while. He had a rough night.” Lay said, taking a seat at the table.

“What do you mean?” Suho asked, returning to the stove to continue cooking.

“I accidently woke him up last night, so I had to help him get back to sleep. It took about an hour or so.” The bunny explained, petting his unicorn toy as his spoke.

“Ugh, I know he must not have been happy about that.” Suho chuckled, knowing how much the kitten hated to be woken up from any slumber. “I’m surprised he asked you for help, though. I thought he’d just sit in his room and go back to sleep on his own.”

“It’s probably because it was my fault that he woke up in the first place. He probably wouldn’t have come to me otherwise.” The bunny had a sad smile on his face. “I would have been happy to help out either way though. Any time we spend together is nice for me.” Suho smiled at his elder hybrid’s words. He loved how much of a caring older brother Lay was to Sehun.

“I know. You’re so sweet to him.” Suho hummed. And Lay smiled at his owner’s compliment. “How did you wake him up though?”

“Oh, he said I was sleep talking a lot, and I guess I was so loud that I woke him up.” Lay mumbled, a bright red blush forming on his face. At that, Suho suddenly stopped cooking and turned to the rabbit in confusion.

“Wait, Sehun said your sleep talking woke him up?” Suho asked, an incredulous look on his face.

“Yeah.” 

“Lay, Sehun is the heaviest sleeper in this house. Don’t you remember when he slept through that massive rain storm last week? Even that mega loud thunder didn’t wake him up.” 

At that moment, Lay’s jaw slowly dropped. He was dumbfounded. He’d completely forgotten about that event and what a sound sleeper Sehun was throughout the entire thing. In fact, now that he thought about it, Sehun really did tend to be oblivious to most loud noise when he was asleep.

“There’s no way Sehun could have even heard you sleep talking within your cushion den. No sound could make its way out of there and into Sehun’s room.” Suho continued.

“But…but then how did he? Why did he?” Lay asked, head tilted and left ear shaped like a question mark. Suho quietly chuckled as the gears turned in his hair.

“Hee hee hee. Methinks our kitty friend just happened to wake up in the middle of the night and wanted his favorite hyung to help him get back to sleep.” 

“Really?” Lay asked. Thinking about it, Suho’s theory sort of made sense. That would explain why Sehun was lisping so much. Because he really was lying about Lay being the cause of his insomnia. And that could have been why he kept rejecting Lay’s methods to put him back to sleep. Maybe…maybe the kitten just wanted to spend more time with his bunny hyung. And have the older hybrid take care of him.

“I think that may very well have been what happened.” Suho said with a chuckle. And Lay could do nothing to fight the smile that was tugging at his lips. His bright dimples sparkling on his face. The rabbit left his unicorn toy on the counter as he dashed back up the stairs.

Sehun was still snuggled up in the pool of unicorn plushies, a blue one tightly squeezed in his grasp. Lay petted the boy’s head once more and leaned down to his ear.

“I’m glad you wanted to have a slumber party with me last night Hunnie. It was really fun and I enjoyed it. But for next time, you can just ask me. Okay?” The rabbit whispered. And Lay could swear that he heard the softest mew and saw the most minimal of head nods coming from Sehun. He smiled sweetly, pressing a chaste kiss to the boy’s lips before dashing down to the kitchen once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I can't beilive I forgot about Sehun's lisp before now I could have used it soooooo much, but oh well. Anyway, I think this is my new favorite chapter. I just love fluffy Lay and Sehundere so much. And I guess it fits that I'm uploading this at night (at least night for me).


	11. Nothing to Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've had lots of Baekchen moments up until this point, but never a solid Baekchen chapter. So here you go. And just as a note, this chapter takes place during Wu Fan Gogh. Hope you all enjoy.

“Hee hee. Puppy, so cute.”

“Puppy, puppy!”

“Mama, doggy hyung likes me.” 

The delightful high pitched voices of a pair of twins had caught Chen and Baekhyun’s attention as soon as they entered the park. The beagles loved adorable children, so of course they wanted to play with the two darling looking boys. However, most mothers in their society of course would not even consider the idea of letting their young children playing with dog hybrids, let alone random unfamiliar dog hybrids in the park. Surprisingly enough, however, the twins’ mother seemed to be one of the few people who actually liked hybrids and was perfectly fine letting her sons play with Baekhyun and Chen. The accepting nod she gave the beagles upon making eye contact with her boys had them dashing over to the kids in glee. They’d probably been rolling on the ground letting the boys pet them and play with their ears and tails for the past 20 minutes.

“Okay Markie, Sungie. We have to get going now.” The woman said, finally approaching the group.

“No mama.”

“Play more, please.”

“Sorry boys, we have to go.” The woman repeated, holding out her arms for her children to go to her.

“It’s okay bud. If we see you here again, we can play some more.” Chen said, patting the head of the twin in his lap.

“Weally?” The toddler asked, giant eyes blinking.

“Yep. Promise.” Baekhyun said, ruffling the other boy’s hair.

“Kay.” Baekhyun chuckled as he stood up and placed the boy on his tiny feet. He wobbled over to his mother with his brother.

“Thank you for playing with them. I know your kind doesn't care too much for things like this. Having your ears and tails pulled little kids, I mean.”

“Are you kidding? We love it!” Baekhyun barked happily, causing the little ones to giggle.

“Thank you for letting us play with them.” Chen added. The woman nodded happily.

"You're very welcome." The woman said with a bright smile. “Say bye bye to the doggies, Sungie and Markie.”

“Bah bah.” One twin called out.

“Bai!” The other added.

Chen and Baekhyun waved fondly to the boys as the exited the park. They were skipping as they followed their mother, one talking excitedly about the hybrids and the other singing a song. Chen and Baekhyun chuckled at the boy’s gleeful ‘chu chu chu chu chu’ as he bounded joyfully. They didn’t stop waving until the family was out of eyesight, and eventually the dogs turned around and began to walk deeper into the park.

Chen sighed happily. “They were so cute.” 

“Yeah, it’s nice to get play with kids.” Baekhyun said softly. Chen gave him a knowing look. They rarely had the opportunity to even speak to a child let alone play with them for 20 minutes. Anti-hybrid parents could be very harsh. Most would jerk their kids to them and speed walk away from the beagles as if they had some sort of disease that was spread through eye contact. It was incredibly hard for Chen and Baekhyun who loved playing with toddlers. “Luckily their mom was one of the nice ones.” 

“Eh…yeah. I guess.” Chen mumbled.

“You don’t think so.” It wasn’t a question. Chen nodded.

“You heard her say it.” The beagle-kitty’s voice got lower. “Your kind.”

“Yeah.” Beakhyun wrapped an arm around Chen’s shoulders. Obviously comments like that were hurtful. Sure hybrids were different, but they still had human attributes. It’s not like they were aliens or anything. “I don’t think she meant any harm by it though.”

“Well, it's good that she doesn’t hate hybrids like most people, but she still doesn’t treat us with that much respect using terms like that.” The younger beagle sighed.

“It was better than most responses at least.” Baekhyun patted Chen on the back. 

“I guess.” Chen said. “What should we do now?” the boy asked, changing the subject.

“Beats me.” The older dog sighed. “Wanna eat something?”

“Eh…I don’t see that going well.” Chen said with a laugh. He was trying to make light of the difficult reality. Hybrids were banned from most public eating establishments. Even ice cream trucks wouldn’t allow a hybrid to make a purchase. Because of this, the only hybrids that had ever experienced the taste of "outside" food were the ones whose owner brought home takeout. 

“Wae… this is so boring.” Baekhyun whined, unnecessarily loud. “What is there to do here?” his voice soon raised to a howl. Chen couldn’t contain his laughter. Suddenly a sneaky idea popped into his brain.

“What about this?” Baekhyun didn’t have time to react before Chen pounced on him. He mouthed at the older hybrid’s face while he had him pinned to the ground. Baekhyun quickly got the message and began mouthing back at the other. He growled and chomped at Chen’s legs, an attempt to weaken him for the chance to strike back. But Chen was crafty. He bopped Baekhyun in the face, rotating between attacking with his hands and his mouth.

This was one of the things Chen actually liked about being half cat-half dog. He had more ways to play that none of the other hybrids could ever duplicate. He often won most play fights simply by utilizing different strategies that incorporated both canine and feline attack methods.

The boys were thoroughly enjoying their game, all of their boredom being soon forgotten. But everything came to a halt when they heard an ear piercing noise. They knew the sound. It was a dog whistle; frequently used by humans to irritate or startle dog hybrids.

“Hey, cut that out!” thundered a booming voice that rivaled both of the beagles combined. The boys looked up and were terrified to see a police officer standing across from them. And behind him were several angry looking park goers. Chen couldn’t help the whine that escaped his throat. He slowly hid himself behind the older dog, his tail between his legs. Baekhyun guarded Chen with his body, slowly getting into alert mode. He remained quiet though. He knew how often a hybrid’s words could be turned against them when dealing with law enforcers.

“This is a violence free park! If you two want to fight, take it to a dog park! That’s where you belong anyway!” The man placed his hand over his taser and the hybrids immediately got the message. They slowly began walking away.

“Ugh, what beasts!” A woman yelled.

“Should have kicked those little mutants out.” An older man spat.

The beagles quickly headed further into the park. They just wanted to get away from that cop before things got ugly.

Baekhyun was furious as he and Chen angrily made their way down a new path. Chen was remarkably upset, still sniveling as the dogs walked on. Baekhyun would have left for Chen’s sake, but he didn’t want those rude humans to think that they’d won. To think that they could make them leave. They had every right to be in the park as every other human. Plus, the entire situation was just ridiculous. Anyone with eyes could see that his and Chen’s play wasn’t a real dog fight. Obviously they weren’t really trying to hurt each other. If two humans were rough playing with each other, no one would say a thing. Oh, but because they were hybrids, obviously they monsters who were trying to murder each other. Bullcrap. That guy just didn’t want Chen and Baekhyun to be able to have fun.

“This sucks.” Baekhyun muttered. 

“Hyung….” Chen whined, slowiy looking up at his friend.

“Yeah Dae?” 

“Can…can we go home?”

“Chen…” Baekhyun knew that Chen was hurting. He knew that he was afraid of that officer coming back and hurting them. But Baekhyun didn’t want to just leave. He didn’t want Chen to run away from all of his problems. He needed to stand up for himself, otherwise humans would keep abusing him and walking all over him.

Before either of them could day anything else, they heard the call of a familiar voice. 

“Hey, Baekkie, Chen Chen! Over here!” The pups looked over to see the hyung duo sitting at a bench. One pink haired deer hybrid holding two ice cream cones, and a short blond man licking one of the treats. The dogs' mood switched from upset to excited in an instant and they bounded over to join their friends.

“Hey, Xiumin hyung. Lu-hyung.” Baekhyun barked happily.

“What’s up guys?” Chen asked.

“Well Lulu here practically dragged me out of the house just to get some ice cream.” Xiumin pointed an accusing yet playful finger at his deer hybrid. 

“You needed a break. You’ve been working all day.” Luhan offered the blueberry ice cream cone to his owner, who jokingly pushed it away.

“So what are you guys doing here?”

“Well, we were just trying to have a relaxing stroll.” Baekhyun sighed.

“But…?” Xiumin raised an eyebrow. He knew something was up. The beagles looked way less hyper than the usually acted when they got the opportunity to go outside.

“We got yelled at.” Chen said sadly. Immediately Xiumin opened his arms for the catdog to take comfort in. The boy was clearly trying to fake a smile, but Xiumin could see right through it. Luhan gently patted the younger hybrid on the head. Baekhyun took a seat as well and joined in comforting Chen.

“What happened?” Xiumin asked. He stopped petting Chen after a few moments and wrapped his arm around Luhan’s waist. He knew that the deer was much more comfortable with letting his owner interact with other hybrids, but he still didn’t want Luhan to ever feel jealous or uncomfortable. Luhan however seemed just as concerned as his owner and gently licked Chen's face in comfort.

“We were playing and a police officer came and yelled at us.” the sad, tan puppy muttered.

“That’s terrible.” Luhan said angrily, trying to remain gentle as he continued petting Chen’s hair.

“He thought we were fighting for real.”

“He knew we were just playing!” Baekhyun growled. “Anyone with eyes could see that we weren’t really trying to hurt each other.”

“Well, unfortunately there are some people who can’t tell the difference.” Xiumin muttered. There was an annoyed tone to his voice. “But those are also the people who think all hybrids are violent monsters.”

“Hmph. You could call them monsters.” Baekhyun huffed. “They just like to harass us for no reason.”

“Hey, where’s Kris?” Luhan asked, only just noticing the absence of their giant owner. 

“He’s at home.” Chen whispered.

“What? He let you come out by yourselves?” Xiumin exclaimed. He knew that Kris was off that day, and the tall man wasn’t one to let the hybrids wander around without him if he could help it.

“He was busy painting.” Baekhyun chuckled.

“Aish, that guy and his art.” Xiumin knew about Kris’s love of doodling and painting and he found it just as unfitting as the rest of the tall blond’s friends. He of course supported the man in his hobbies, but that didn’t stop the fact that he thought it was hilarious. 

“Do you want to stay here with us?” Luhan asked. The older hybrid hated the idea of the younger ones being pestered by rude humans again.

“Or maybe we could walk you home, if you want.” Xiumin added.

The beagles remained quiet; both waiting for the other to answer. Baekhyun knew that Chen wanted to leave and would have agree to return home if that’s what the boy really wanted, despite the fact that he didn’t want to take that easy route out. Chen likewise knew that Baekhyun didn’t want to leave and therefore didn’t want to say anything. The last thing he wanted was to force his hyung to leave just because he was afraid of being bullied by humans again.

 

After what seemed like an eternity, Chen finally sat up. He looked to his hyung for an answer. The pup decided he’d do whatever the older brunet said. He’d rather stay in the park and be harassed again as opposed to relying on Xiumin and Luhan for protection.

“Um…we should …probably get going.” The older dog said. 

“Home?” Luhan questioned.

“Yeah.” He said, patting Chen on the head. “Kris might be worrying about us anyway. Overprotective pabo.” The dog chuckled, trying to hide how upset he still was.

“Do you want us to walk with you?” Xiumin asked.

“Nah. We’ll be fine. It’s only like 10 minutes away anyway.” Baekhyun insisted. Xiumin and Luhan shared a concerned looked, but nodded nonetheless.

“Okay. But…be safe.” The human said.

“And call if you need anything. We’ll be there in an instant.” Luhan added.

“Sure thing hyung.” Baekhyun said. He wrapped an arm around Chen’s shoulder and the two headed for the park exit.

“See you later hyungs.” Chen called out.

 

The walk back home was somber. Even Baekhyun and Chen themselves couldn’t believe the ambiance surrounding them. The duo was always, loud, happy, and hyper when they were together, yet no one would ever know it looking at them now. Neither dog had even said a word since they’d parted with the hyung couple. 

Chen started to feel upset again. He was mad at himself. He knew good and well that Baekhyun only decided to leave the park because he felt that he had to for his dongsaeng’s sake, but it was obvious that the elder dog wanted to stay. Chen wished he weren’t such a scaredy cat. He wished that he could stand up for himself and stop relying on his hyungs and even some dongsaengs to protect him. 

Chen was so busy beating himself up that he hadn’t even noticed that Baekhyun had started to nuzzle his face. It was gentler than usual, mainly due to the fact that they were up and walking, but still comforting all the same. It was obvious that the brunet sensed how sad Chen was truly feeling through his scent and tried to calm him down. The older dog began to lick Chen’s neck, another action that always calmed the boy. But Chen flinched and immediately pulled back. He scanned the area, terrified of someone seeing them and yelling at them again. The beagle didn’t notice how fast his heart was beating before he met Baekhyun’s eyes. He could almost feel how upset the older dog was just from looking into his eyes alone. 

'What’s happening? Why am I like this?' Chen wasn’t normally one to shy away from physical contact if there was no one around to berate them, but after what happened earlier, he was overly paranoid. And it was killing him. But even moreso, it was killing Baekhyun to see his friend so anxious and fearful.

Chen knew that he’d upset Baekhyun by pulling away, so he slowly moved back towards him. He rested his head on Baekhyun’s shoulder and looked up at the slightly taller dog, softly pleading with his eyes. He wanted to be nuzzled again, and to not be concerned about the possibility of onlookers. All he wanted was to take in Baekhyun’s comforting love and forget about everything else. The older hybrid smiled and softy rubbed his head against the younger’s once more. He began licking Chen’s neck again, right under his collar where he liked it. And Chen couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t stop the purrs from vibrating in his chest. It was music to Baekhyun’s ears. He loved when Chen embraced his feline half and purred in happiness. It made the older dog’s tail wag gleefully. Baekhyun continued with his ministrations for a bit longer, just to hear more of that wonderful, wonderful purring. He stopped upon hearing Chen hum contently. 

“I’m sorry hyung.” The tan furred puppy finally whispered.

“Don’t be.” Baekhyun stroked the younger beagle’s chin.

“I…I just wish, I were brave like you…and Chanyeol. I wish…I want to be…” Chen couldn’t even finish his sentence. He almost felt like he was on the verge of tears. Baekhyun ensured that he didn’t complete his statement by locking their lips together. It was a soft kiss that probably only lasted 20 seconds at the longest, but it felt like much longer to both dogs.

Baekhyun already had a hunch of what Chen was going to say. It was obvious that he was wishing to be a normal dog hybrid instead of a catdog hybrid. But Baekhyun didn’t want to hear that. He didn’t want Chen to ever wish away a part of himself. He wouldn’t be their Chen Chen without his cat genes. 

“I don’t want you to be like me or Chanyeol or anyone else. I want you…we want you to just be yourself.” Baekhyun pressed another kiss to the boy’s face. “We don’t care if you get scared easily. That’s who you are, and that’s the way we like you.”

Chen sighed. “It’s just, I feel like I’m…such a burden.” Chen stared at the ground with sad eyes. He always felt like the other hybrids forced themselves to adjust to his issues. They rarely went out because they knew that Chen feared situations like the one they ran into today. And when they did leave the house, it usually wasn't for very long. 

“You could never be a burden, Dae.”

“I know you’d never say it, even if you felt it was true.” The younger beagle sighed.

“Why do you feel that way, Dae?” 

“Sometimes I just feel like you guys never get to do anything you want to do because of me.”

“What do you mean? We do lots of stuff that we like together.” Baekhyun argued, unsure of what Chen was referring to.

“Only if it’s at home. I know Kris hyung always makes to excuses to avoid leaving the house because of me. He knows I don’t like to go out.”

“So what? I like spending time together at home, and I know the others do too. Taozi for sure is more than happy to spend hours upon hours on the couch or Kris’s bed without moving a muscle.”

“He’s a cat. Of course, he could spend all day rooted in one location.” Chen slightly chuckled, relating to the situation all too well. “But I know sometimes you and Chanyeol would prefer to come outside for a bit.”

“As long as Yeollie is with Kris, he’s fine. Those two could spend all day just in the living room and have a blast. And they’d probably just be kissing each other all day.” Baekhyun illustrated his point by grabbing Chen’s face and peppering a flurry of kisses across it. And of course the younger burst out into his signature laughter. 

“Bwahahahahaha, quit it!” Chen laughed, pawing at the older male. And of course his request only got him more kisses. And his cackling laughter got louder. After a minute or so, Baekhyun finally released him, chuckling at the easily amused puppy. It took Chen a few minutes to catch his breath, but once he did, he found himself looking deeply into his hyungs eyes.

“Thanks Baek.” Chen said sincerely. He loved how Baekhyun always had a way of making him feel better. “You’re a really great hyung.”

“Yeah, I know.” The brunet joked, earning himself a playful slap on the arm. “Aigoo, that hurt.” He whined. Chen wrapped his arms around the slightly taller dog and gave him a lick on the cheek. It was an endearing kiss, one that the hybrids only shared when they were in such a mood that they only wanted to express pure, genuine love with another. Baekhyun licked him back, just as much love flowing through his tongue. 

“C’mon pup, let’s head home.” Baekhyun wrapped an arm around Chen’s lower back. He barely took one step before Chen pulled him back.

“Hyung, wait.” The dual hybrid said, clutching his hyung’s arm in his hands. His eyes were fixated on the ground.

“Huh, what’s up?”

“Can we… go back to the park?” he asked quietly.

“Wae? You want to go back?” 

“Yes, please.”

“Chen, you don’t need to force yourself to go back just for me. I’m fine with going home.”

“I want to, really. I want to go back. Can we please?” Chen’s voice was almost a puppy whine and Baekhyun would have been cooing like crazy if he weren’t so confused.

“But why did you change your mind?”

“Because you’re so good to me. And I want to spend more time with my favorite, hyung.” He gently rubbed Baekhyun’s hand in his own as he spoke.

“Are you sure you really want to go back there? Because I don’t need to.”

“Uwaaaa, I wanna to go the park with Baekkie. Pwease take me to the park.” Chen squealed with as much aegyo in his voice as possible. He playfully stoped on the ground, waving his fists into the air, much like a kitten, trying to look too cute for even Baekhyun to handle.

“Aish, what is this?” Baekhyun was completely unable to handle the extremely adorable antics from the catdog boy. If it was Tao it would be one thing, but Chen rarely went overboard with his aegyo. It was almost scary. 

Chen mewled and pressed his fists against his cheeks, making the biggest puppy dog eyes imaginable. And that was it for Baekhyun. There was nothing that could beat the combined powers of puppy-kitten cuteness.

“Okay, okay, we can go back.” The brunet said with a massive blush on his face. Chen barked happily and proceeded to wildly lick the older beagle’s face in glee.

“C’mon let’s go!” Chen grabbed Baekhyun’s hand and took off towards the park. It took Baekhyun a few moments to match Chen’s pace, but soon they were running in perfect sync. 

Chen wasn’t sure what evets would meet them the park. The police officer might taunt them again. Random civilians could harass them. Anything could happen. But as long as Baekhyun was at his side, he’d be ready to handle whatever came his way. As long as they were together, they were never powerless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm honestly really disappointed with this one. I just felt like we really needed a solid Baekchen chapter, but I didn't really know what I wanted to happen. That note about them going to the park in Wu Fan Gogh was actually a last minute addition just to lead to this chapter. But I didn't exactly know what the plot would be and what would be achieved at the end. Then college finals kind of took my time away from making this something much better. Also, I could not think of a good title for the life of me :( So...yeah sorry.
> 
> Thanks to all who are reading and enjoying. You guys are the best :3


	12. Married to the Music

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now it's time for some Krisbaek. And honestly, I can't believe it's taken me this long to do a full chapter with these two. It's been forever since they've had any cute interactions, so sorry about that. Hope you all enjoy :)

“C’mon Kris, you promised.” Baekhyun whined.

“Just a minute Baek.” Kris replied, his eyes locked on the TV screen.

“You said that an hour ago.” The dog whined again.

“I’ll be ready in like 10 minutes, just go get dressed.”

“I’m already dressed. I got dressed 30 minutes ago.”

“Oh…well, uh…aw man no! How did he miss that?” Kris slumped back on the couch, distraught at how the game was going.

“Kris hyung, we haven’t gone on a walk in forever.” Baekhyun threw his body on top of his owner, a giant pout on his face.

Kris had been working much longer hours recently. So much that he’d barely had any time to do anything fun with his hybrids. It was especially upsetting for Beakhyun and Chanyeol, who loved going out with their owner. He’d promised Baekhyun that he’d take him out for a walk that day since he got off early, but it also happened to be the same day that a basketball game was on. Now Kris liked basketball, but he wasn’t normally one to get too hyped over a game like most people. Certainly never distracted to the point that he started ignoring people. But this game was quite special to the man; his bias Stephen Curry was playing.

“Krrrriiiiisssss…”

It’s not that Kris didn’t want to take his beloved pup on a walk, but he hadn’t seen Stephen Curry play in forever. 

“Yes! He just scored a three pointer! C’mon Curry, you’ve got this.” Kris cheered, looking to Baekhyun for support. He was met with the eyes of a very irritated beagle, a low growling sounding from his chest. The tall man sighed. He knew that he was wrong for pushing Baekhyun aside like he was doing. The dog would be devastated if he didn’t get his walk today, and Kris wouldn’t be able to live it down.

“Alright Baekkie, let’s go.” Kris said, patting the hybrid’s head.

“Finally!” the dog huffed. In an instant he bounded over to the door, tail wagging rapidly in anticipation.

“Okay, okay, calm down. I’m sorry for making you wait so long, Baek.” He patted the dog once more, truly sorry for his actions. Baekhyun simply barked in response, scratching at the door intently. “Easy boy.” Kris chuckled. He opened the door and let Baekhyun dash outside. As usual, he circled the yard in a wild figure 8 before rolling on his back in the grass.

“Ugggghhh, this feels so goooood.” Baekhyun moaned. He was panting heavily, both from his exhaustion, but also from happiness. It felt like it had been months not only since he’d been on a walk, but since he’d been outside in general. And honestly, that wasn’t too shocking. If Kris wasn’t taking the hybrids out, rarely did they ever leave the house. Though Kris hated the fact that Baekhyun was dirtying one of his nice outfits, he was happy to see the pup having so much fun. Out of all 3 beagles, it was obvious that the eldest loved being outside the most.

“Well, are we going to walk or just roll around for an hour?” Kris asked, hands on his hips. 

“Hey, I haven’t been able to do this in forever. I deserve this time to get reacquainted with nature.” Baekhyun sighed. “Especially since you kept me waiting for an hour.” 

“It was not an hour. It was like, half an hour.” Kris retorted, though he really wasn’t sure how long it truly had been.

“Pffft, you weren’t even paying attention.” Baekhyun replied, rubbing his face in a pile of flowers.

“C’mon Baek. You’re getting so dirty. And I really don’t need all of these germs in the shower.” Kris whined.

“Alright, I’m coming.” Baekhyun said sadly. He slowly got up and shook himself off, attempting to remove the dirt that was staining his hair and clothes. He then went over to his owner, ready for his walk to begin.

“Ready to finally get going?”

“Yeah yeah yeah!” The boy panted happily. Kris smiled and took Baekhyun’s hand in his own. The duo headed down the street, out of the neighborhood and toward the park. 

Unfortunately, Kris didn’t live in the most interesting area. There weren’t many interesting “hot spots” near him, which is one of the main reasons why he and the hybrids didn’t really go out that much. There just wasn’t anything to do or see. No stores, no nice places to eat, not even something as simple as a barber shop. Though honestly, it didn’t really matter. Even if Kris did live near a mall or restaurant, there’s no way he’d be able to enjoy a peaceful time with his hybrids anyway. Thus, the park became their most common venture location. It was large enough to enjoy a lot of space to themselves and avoid the rude hybrid haters. That said though, it did become boring going to the same place to hang out, every time they left the house.

“Do you really want to go to the park again? Didn't you and Chen Chen go there like, last week?”

“I’m surprised you remember that. You were so focused on your painting that day.” Baekhyun chuckled.

“Oh c’mon, you guys keep blowing that out of proportion.”

“Are you kidding? You literally didn’t even say anything when we walked out the door.” The dog jokingly nudged his owner.

“Anyway…” Kris began, trying to alter the conversation. “Are we going to the park, or somewhere else?”

“What’s wrong with the park?” 

“It’s just that we always go to the park. Isn’t there anywhere else you’d like to go?”

Baekhyun turned away from Kris and smiled sadly at the ground. “It’s not like there are many places I can go.”

“Baek, don’t worry about that. You’re with me now, and no one’s gonna mess with you if they see me.” Kris took Baekhyun’s hand in his own and looked into his eyes. “If there’s anywhere you want to go, just say it and I’ll take you there.”

A small whimper exited the dog’s throat before he spoke. “No. Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.” He attempted to hasten his pace, but Kris pulled him back immediately.

“Baekhyun, just tell me. Where do you want to go?” Kris's soft, warming expression seemed to be inviting to Baekhyun. He wrapped his arms around his owner and buried his face in his chest.

“Well…I’ve been wanting to go to the music shop for a while.” It was slightly muffled, but Kris had heard what Baekhyun had said.

“Hm, the music shop? For what?” Kris asked.

“I just wanted to listen to some music.” The dog pulled away and finally made eye contact with his owner. “I was sort of hoping that it could help me with my singing.” Kris broke out into his large, gummy smile as soon as Baekhyun finished speaking.

“Sure thing Baek. Why didn’t you just say so? You know we all love your singing.” Kris said, ruffling the boy’s hair.

“You know, I just…I know how hard it is for you to have to go out with hybrids.”

“Baek…”

“I know you say that it’s fine, but I still don’t like making you have to go through all of that.” Baekhyun nuzzled his head into Kris’s chest again. One for the comfort, but also because he didn’t want to look him in the eyes anymore.

All of the hybrids felt the same way, deep down. They hated that they were often harassed in public, simply due to being hybrids, but even more, they felt bad for Kris. As strange as it may sound, sometimes it seemed that the people who harassed Kris’s pets did it with the overall intention to bother him. As if they got enjoyment out of insulting something that he cared so much for. It wouldn’t have surprised the hybrids if that truly was the case. In addition to hating hybrids, most people in their society loathed the people who owned them. 

“I mean what I say, Baekhyun. I couldn’t care less about what any random stranger says or does to me. As long as you guys are okay, I’m fine.” Kris took Baekhyun’s hand, which was still laced in his own, and brought it to his lips.

“Thank you hyung.”

 

The duo remained silent until they reached the small music shop. It wasn’t a really big or frequently visited place. More often than not, the store’s occupancy never reached more than four customers at a time. But despite how empty the shop tended to be, it was still a great place to shop for the latest music. The store mainly played songs from really popular girl groups like Red Velvet and Girls Generation, which was another reason why Kris’s pets, especially Baekhyun, liked it so much.

Kris and Baekhyun made their way in the shop, the familiar jingling bell sounding as they entered. A GFriend song was playing, one from their newest album actually. And all of the front store shelves were stacked rows of new albums that Baekhyun knew had come out very recently. He loved how quickly the store acquired their music. Bopping his head to the funky beat, Baekhyun danced to one of the shelves, looking to see what new tunes he could find. 

Kris smiled seeing how the beagle was enjoying himself. The tall man quickly scanned the store, peering behind shelves and cardboard cutouts, and sighed in relief upon seeing that they were the only people in the store aside from the very disinterested looking cashier. With no need to worry about Baekhyun being bothered, Kris decided to relax and quickly check up on his friends’ Instagrams.

Baekhyun browsed the aisles eagerly, hungry to see everything that the store offered. As usual, the majority of the selection consisted of pop songs, but the pup was also happy to see other genres, such as ballads and hip hop singles. Baekhyun wished he could listen to all of them, but he knew the cashier would get pissed if the hybrid held up too much of her time. He decided to pick out 5 albums, one for each member of the house. 

It shouldn’t be too difficult a task. After all, the boys shared many of the same music tastes. They’d probably end up sharing all of the albums anyway, but Baekhyun still thought it would be nice to get each hybrid a set to call their own. He picked out his own gift first; a copy of Growl. He loved the album as a whole, but he especially loved the title track of the same name. The first singer had such a lovely voice that Baekhyun adored. And if the beagle was able to get his photocard, he'd be in heaven. 

“You would pick that one.” Came Kris’s voice. Baekhyun was so distracted by his search that he hadn’t noticed that his owner had approached him. He still had his phone in his hand, and had probably wandered over to him with his eyes still glued on it.

“Aish, hyung. Don’t sneak up on my like that.” The beagle playfully slapped his owner on the back.

“It should be impossible to sneak up on you with those super sensitive ears of yours.” Kris joked, playing with Baekhyun’s floppy ear.

“Yah, you should be helping me.” The shorter boy pouted. 

“Didn’t you already get the one you wanted?” Kris asked, eying the album Baekhyun had in his hands.

“This is mine. I wanna get one for everyone.”

“Yeesh, do you guys think I’m made of money or something?” Kris chuckled, putting his phone back in his pocket.

“These are so cheap!” Baekhyun smacked Kris with the album. 

“Whatever.” Kris sighed with a smile, patting the brunet’s head. He really didn’t have an issue with the price. He’d spend anything for his precious babies. Money was no object when it came to them. “So which one’s are you getting the others?”

“Um, I’m not sure yet. Help me look around for a bit.” Without even waiting for an answer, Baekhyun moved onto the next aisle, Kris trekking right behind him. Normally such an activity would have seemed more like a chore, but Baekhyun and Kris found great joy in shopping for their dongseangs. As they searched, the song Whistle started to play over the speakers. Baekhyun, being the musical pup he was, started singing along. Kris giggled at the adorable little goofball and added his own contribution, whistling with the song.

It wasn’t long before the boys made their choices for the others. Kris pointed out a track that Chen had taken a recent liking to; a song called Monster. They thought it was hilarious how their bright, adorable little catdog loved such a dark, powerful song. He even tried dancing along with it whenever the music video played on TV, though he was often unsuccessful. Recently, he was relegated solely to singing along for the safety of Kris’s furniture.

Both men easily decided on a foreign album for Tao, knowing how much he loved listening to music from his homeland. He rarely had the opportunity to do so, outside of those pop groups that also released songs in Chinese, but those were few and far between. They agreed on a specially made album which featured several songs by a well-known Chinese rapper. Tao was quite fond of him, having heard his songs online one day and falling in love with them instantly. The album featured several songsthat they new Tao loved, included Underground King, Hello Hello and The Road. 

Chanyeol was a bit of a hard choice. The tall beagle loved so many different types of music, so it was hard to single in on one option. They thought about getting him an album named The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Part 2. They knew he was quite a fan of the group, mainly because they had a lot of great rappers, but they weren’t too sure. 

“Geez, I thought Yeollie would have been the easiest for you to buy for.” Baekhyun said.

“Hello? You’re the one who spends all day everyday with him.” Kris countered.

“You’re his boyfriend~” Baekhyun sang, causing Kris to blush like crazy.

“Yah, just look for something!”

“Hey what about this?” Baekhyun held up an album by a new group, known as EXO CBX. Chanyeol was a fan of the group, mainly because he thought all of the little guys were cute, though honestly, it was Baekhyun who seemed to be the biggest fan.

“Isn’t that that group you and Chen like?” Kris asked with raised eyebrows, seeing right into Baekhyun’s intentions.

“Yeollie likes them too.” The dog insisted. Kris decided to just let Baekhyun go with his choice, figuring he spent more time listening to music with the other dog to know what he’d prefer. If Chanyeol ended up wanting something else, he's just exchange it later.

“Alright, ready to check out.” Kris asked, pulling the short pup towards him. Baekhyun responded by nuzzling into his owner’s chin, tickling the tall man’s nose with his fur.

“We still need to get yours hyung.” The dog panted in delight, enjoying the close contact with Kris. Drool trickled down the beagle’s chin, which Kris quickly wiped away with a napkin. (When you have three beagle hybrids, you start carrying those around like it’s second instinct.) 

“Mine? You were getting one for me too?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t leave you out…hyungie~” Baekhyun giggled at his use of Chanyeol’s pet name for Kris. He jokingly made kissing noises toward the older man. And of course, Kris started blushing once more. It didn’t help that the song Muah, by April started playing.

“Let’s just pick one and get going. It’s getting close to dinner time anyway.” Kris said, trying to rub the redness off of his face (which of course he couldn't). Baekhyun yipped and bounced over to another aisle. 

“Oooooh, they have Lion Heart. I don’t have that one yet.”

“I thought we were buying for me.” Kris teased.

“You like SNSD, don’t you?” 

“Yeah but…”

“Or what about The Boys. I don’t think I have that one either.” 

“Yeah, you’re definitely buying for yourself.” Kris chuckled. He playfully bopped Baekhyun on the head. He didn’t mind what Baekhyun did either way. He was fine letting Baekhyun buy another album for himself if he really wanted to. Chances are that that dog would listen to it more than Kris would listen to whatever he bought anyway.

“Oh, hey. What about that one?” Baekhyun said suddenly, eyeing a small, Chinese album at the bottom of the shelf. He wasn’t exactly sure which artist is was, but he knew his owner was up to date with the latest music of China. Kris grabbed it and instantly recognized a lot of the songs.

“Bad Girl, July, Juice. Oh yeah, these are nice.”

“Wait, it's that guy? Dude, the MVs for those songs are so weird.” Baekhyun snorted. “Let’s pick another one.”

“It’s my style, though.” 

“Really, hyung?” Baekhyun asked, with a roll of his eyes.

“We’re buying for me, remember.” Kris said sassily, bopping the pup with the album cover.

“Aigoo, fine.” The beagle whined, rubbing his head. “I guess he is hot, but I still think you should have gone with The Boys.”

“We’ll buy that one another time.” Kris promised, pulling Baekhyun into a hug. He kissed the spot where he’d playfully hit the dog on the head. “C’mon, let’s get going.”

Fortunately, since Kris and Baekhyun were the only ones in the store, checking out was much quicker than it would have been anywhere else. The cashier remained quiet as she scanned each album. Baekhyun avoided eye contact with her. He’d had enough experience with cashiers and other store workers to know not to interact with them in anyway. The dog could already smell how irritated she seemed to be. Her nametag just read “Tae” and there was something about the way she was staring holes into Baekhyun’s face. It made him uncomfortable.

Kris seemed to sense how nervous Baekhyun was and pulled him into a small hug. He quickly relaxed in the comfort of his owner’s arms. The cashier told Kris the price, which turned out to be lower than Beakhyun had expected, and the tall man paid quickly. Within minutes, they were out of the store.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. That girl was creepy though.”

“Luckily she wasn’t mean to you. That’s when we would have had problems.”

“Pft. You wouldn’t hit a girl, hyung.” Baekhyun chuckled.

“Who said anything about hitting? I would destroy her in a rap battle.” Kris replied, tickling Baekhyun under his chin. The pup laughed and snuggled closer to his owner. Soon they started the journey back home, hand in hand. “Anyway, do you think the others will like their albums?” 

“Of course they will!” Baekhyun barked. “After all, I picked them out.” Kris rolled his eyes at the silly pup. They remained silent for a minute before the beagle hybrid spoke up.

“I really enjoyed this time together, hyung. Thanks for taking me on this walk.” He said, quickly tiptoeing to lick his owner on the cheek. Kris chuckled. He was so used to being licked by now, he just took it all in stride, despite how icky he still found it to be.

“Well, I’m glad you had fun.” Kris kissed the top of Baekhyun’s head.

“So we’re totally coming back out tomorrow, right?”

“Eh?”

“Yeah, so we can get a The Boys album, and Lion Heart, oooh and Hoot. That one is awesome!”

“Aish, this kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can imagine, I had a lot of fun with this one :) I do wish it was longer, but I also feel that it works well enough at this length. I also wish I could have thought of a better title :/
> 
> Thanks to everyone is who is still reading and enjoying this fic. You guys are awesome :)


	13. Playdate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing this one. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I do :3

Kai sat at the kitchen counter, his tail wagging happily as his owner prepared lunch. Next to him sat Lay, Sehun, and Tao, all who were having a “play date” with the toy poodle. Now, in all honesty, this play date wasn’t planned per say. Kris had been coaxed into taking the beagles to the dog hybrid park to play around for a bit. Tao of course did not feel comfortable being around so many strange dogs, but also did not want to be at home by himself. Thus Kris asked D.O. if Tao could hang with him for a few hours, so Tao wouldn’t be home alone and Kai could also have some hybrid company. And D.O. of course was happy to oblige.

“Sure. We’ve already got some guests over here, so what’s one more?” D.O. chuckled into his cell.

“Hm? Who else is there?” Kris questioned.

"Sehun and Lay."

The Ragdoll and rabbit were dropped off when and emergency situation called for Suho to head to work immediately. Normally he’d be fine about leaving the duo home by themselves, but he wasn’t sure how long he’d be gone, and didn’t want to risk upsetting the boys by having to stay out for several hours. And so, he asked D.O. if Kai would like some kitty and bunny company.

“It’ll be no problem at all, hyung.” D.O. said happily over the phone.

“Are you sure? You know I hate to intrude like this. And I know you and Kai love your alone time.”

“We have alone time every day.” D.O. laughed. “Besides, he loves when his friends get to come over.”

“Thanks Kyungsoo. And remember, if Sehun starts acting like a brat, don’t hesitate to call me.” Suho said in a loud, stern voice. D.O. chuckled. Sehun must have been in the same room.

“Hahahaha, everything will be fine, hyung.”

 

“Hunnie. Huuuuuunnnnnniiiieeeeee~” Tao mewled, poking Sehun’s head, which was laid across Lay’s lap. It should have been a rather uncomfortable position seeing as they were sitting at barstools, but Sehun didn’t seem to care that much. He was a cat, so he was used to being in wacky bodily orientations. 

“Yah! Stop touching me!” Sehun hissed.

“Cuddle with me.” The Li Hua Mao pouted.

“Cuddle with Kai.” The rainbow kitten muttered, not willing to leave his spot.

“You should know by now that Sehun will never give up his bunny hyung, Taozi.” Kai said, reaching over to pat the black kitten's head.

“I’m just using him as a pillow.” Sehun sassed, trying to discreetly nuzzle into Lay’s leg.

“Because you liiiiikkkkkeeee him~” Tao giggled.

“No I don’t!” the ragdoll retorted, a blush forming across his face.

“Yes you do.” Kai teased.

“We all heard about the sleeping incident.” Tao laughed.

“Aigooo, Lay hyung. I can’t sthleeep. Help me get to sthleeeep.” Tao and Kai laughed like crazy as the latter mimicked Sehun’s lisp. Sehun was only getting more agitated. He was about to argue back, but the comforting feeling of Lay patting his butt was keeping him from becoming too enraged. So he just brushed them off and opted for a catnap.

Lay just sat quietly with a smile, enjoying how adorable Sehun was being. The bunny knew his kitty well enough to know that he was just playing tough. He knew deep down how much the boy loved his skinship, and thus, Lay was perfectly content to keep petting him non-stop throughout the day. But secretly, Lay loved to see Sehun so flustered and nervous. It was probably the cutest thing ever. 

“Shut up! I really couldn’t get to sthleep.” Sehun quickly covered his mouth as he realized what just happened.

“He lisped! He lisped! He’s lying.” Tao cackled, his hyena laugh echoing the room. Kai laughed so hard that he started smacking Lay’s arm (gently of course). 

“We enjoyed ourselves, didn’t we Sehunnie?” Lay asked, stroking the kitten’s neck. And Sehun had to do everything in his power to not start purring.

“Sthop it.” The kitten whined, lisping again.

“Hahahahaahahahah, he’s still doing it!” Kai was now doubled over in laughter.

“Kai, Taozi, cut it out.” D.O. tried to sound as strict as possible, but truthfully he was struggling not to laugh himself. He couldn’t help it. Sehun was so adorable when he tried to act like a tough little kitty. 

Tao laid his body on top of Sehun’s. He began to gently groom the younger kitten’s neck and fur, using his hands to neatly fix his hair. Normally Sehun would have complained about such close physical contact with the older cat, but he was too relaxed to move or say anything. He didn’t like being groomed by Tao of course. It wasn’t sweet or comforting at all, despite that tingly feeling he got in his chest every time it happened. Nope, he didn’t like it one bit. Kai smiled and rested his head on Lay’s shoulder, also wanting to join in the skinship.

“What’s for lunch, Soo?” Lay asked.

“Some salmon for Sehun and Tao, bulgogi for Jongie, and a carrot salad for you.” D.O. explained, pointing to each food with his spoon as he spoke.

“Carrot sthalad? What’s that? Don’t regular sthalads have carrots?” Sehun mumbled, sleepy from the totally not comforting grooming coming from Tao.

“He’s still lisping~” Kai hummed. Everyone stifiled a chuckle and pretended not to notice.

“Eh hem. Yeah, but I put extra on this one. We’ve got regular carrots, baby carrots, carrot sticks, everything.” D.O. said, smiling at Lay. The bunny clapped his hands and bunny ears, already thinking about the delicious meal.

“Is it done yet?” Tao asked, always ready for food.

“Just a few seconds. Kai, why don’t you set the table?” D.O. suggested. Kai pouted at having to leave his comfortable spot, but did what his owner said.

“I’ll help.” Lay offered.

“Noooo!” Sehun whined, clutching onto Lay’s leg. Tao and Lay both grinned at the kitten with large smiles.

“Aw, he doesn’t want you to leave.” Tao cooed.

“I..I just didn’t want to lose my pillow. But I guess I’ll get up sthince the food is almost done.” Sehun mumbled, still blushing. Tao pulled the kitten up, for Lay to assist Kai. The Li Hua Mao didn’t release the Ragdoll from the hug once they were properly sitting up however, and continued with his grooming ministrations. Sehun pouted. Because he didn’t like Tao. The older kitten was too annoying and clinging. The only reason Sehun didn’t tell him to stop was because he was still sleepy. Yeah, that was it. He wasn’t enjoying it whatsoever. And he certainly wasn’t purring quietly and nuzzling closer to the taller boy.

“Aren’t they so adorable?” Kai whispered.

“They sure are.” Lay smiled, bright dimple shining.

 

Lunch was delicious, as expected from D.O. Lay decided to let the kitties bond and focus on Kai for a change. He fed him his bulgogi like a mother feeding her pup. He even blew on it for him, despite the fact that D.O. had let it cool a bit before serving it. Kai adored the attention from his rabbit hyung and was wagging his tail for the entirety of the meal. Unfortunately, that came at the expense of his owner, who was on the receiving end of the smacks of Kai’s fluffy tail waving around sporadically. But he didn’t mind. He was always happy to see Kai enjoying himself with his hybrid friends. Being the only hybrid in his home had lots of benefits, mainly receiving all of the attention from his wonderful owner, but he did have the longing for the company of other hybrids at times. Which is why D.O. loved that his friends were always so willing to bring their pets over to play with Kai.

Tao, meanwhile, fed Sehun lettuce wraps of fish. Sehun didn’t ask to be fed, Tao just started doing it. He liked doing things like that, but Sehun just found it annoying. He could feed himself; he was a 19 year old kitten after all. He didn’t need any help. But he didn’t tell Tao to stop. Not because he liked being fed, he was just too tired to feed himself. Plus he liked the feeling of having a servant. But he didn’t care for the way Tao would smile at him and scratch him behind the ears every time he fed him a new piece of fish. No, he wasn’t blushing. His face was just hot from the food. And the way Tao would just decide to rub their faces together at random moments, purring soft and sweetly? Yeah, that was weird too. Nothing enjoyable about that.

“Lay, we all love how much you love taking care of the babies, but you need to eat too.” D.O. said, forking Lay some salad. The rabbit blushed. He only just realized that he hadn’t even started eating yet. But alas, this was common. Lay always got so caught up in feeding Sehun, Suho, or anyone else for that matter that he’d forget to feed himself. It was another form of his space outs, where the only thing he’d be focusing on would be making sure that the other ate. It was incredibly sweet and his friends loved him for it, but they would like him to focus on himself as well.

It was times like this that D.O. was glad that Lay had Suho as an owner. He had so many exploitable traits that would be easily taken advantage of if he lived with hybrid abusers. The poor bunny would probably be starving himself if he had an owner who didn’t care about his well-being and never reminded him to eat. D.O. hated to think about things like that, but luckily he had nothing to worry about since Suho was probably the nicest man on the planet. 

“Hee hee. Sorry.” Lay said. He let Kai take the last piece of meat from his hand before he finally started to feed himself.

“It’s okay hyungie. We can switch for now.” Kai said, taking Lay’s fork. He processed to feed Lay for a bit, thoroughly enjoying watching the dimples form on the man’s cheek as he gobbled down forkfuls of carrots.

“Is there any dessert, hyung?” Tao asked.

“Dessert? You haven’t even finished your sthalmon. Er, salmon.” Sehun pointed out, glaring at the food Tao had yet to eat.

“I’m almost done.” Tao whined, shoving a fish wrap into his mouth. He giggled lightly at the younger kitty’s lisp. It was rare, but Sehun’s lisp was also known to show itself when he was deep in his own little trance, just as when he lied.

“Heh, well, I do have something sweet prepared for you all.” D.O. said, a smirk on his face.

“Really, hyung?” Kai said, tail starting to wag again.

“Ooooooh, what is it?” Tao mewled.

“You’ll see later.” D.O. replied with a cheeky smile. Tao pouted, but continued to feed both himself and Sehun regardless. After all, the sooner he finished, the sooner he could get that dessert.

“Don’t rush guys. I don’t want anyone going home with an upset stomach.” The short man said. The hybrids nodded in sync.

 

Once lunch was finished, the hybrids made their way to the living room. They were quite full from their luscious feast and were sprawled all over the couch, resting their full tummies. Additionally, like anyone else who'd just eaten a large meal, they’d all become very tired. D.O. decided to handle the dishes himself and let Kai and the others take a small nap.

“Nyaaaaa, I’m tired.” Tao yawned. He snuggled himself on top of Sehun’s body once more, wrapping his arms tightly around the younger kitten. As if by nature, the cats scrunched their legs towards their stomachs so that they were curled into a ball.

“Me too.” Kai said quietly. He lied down next to Lay, who was using the arm of the sofa as a pillow.

“Go to sleep then.” Sehun meowed. His eyes were already closed. Of all of the hybrids within the group's social circle, it was no secret that Sehun slept the most.

“Don’t you mean, sthleep.” Kai chuckled. Sehun merely hissed in response. He was too sleepy to argue back at the canine. Plus the way Tao was caressing his ears and neck was really soothing. Not that Sehun liked it or anything. But who would stop a free massage?

“We can nap and then have the dessert when we wake up.” Lay said with a yawn.

“What do you think the dessert is?” Tao asked, licking Sehun’s eyes.

“I hope it’s a carrot cake.” Lay said dreamily.

“I want pupcakes.” Kai said.

“Puppy cakes? What are those?” Tao questioned. Kai cooed at the kitten's word choice.

“Cupcakes that hyung makes with doggy designs.” The poodle said happily.

“Oh.” Tao mewed, seemingly trying to envision the treat.

“Gross. Who wants to eat a cake that looks like a dog?” Sehun muttered. “I want tuna.”

“Tuna smells weird.” Kai commented.

"You smell weird." The cat retorted. Tao nipped him on the neck, a reminder to mind his manners.

“Whatever it is, it’ll be delicious.” Lay said, lightly stroking Kai’s fur. “Let’s just rest now.”

“Okay.” Tao said before drifting off to sleep. He snuggled even closer to Sehun, wrapping around him like a blanket. Sehun made sure he let out a small hiss to let Tao know that he totally wasn’t enjoying this physical contact. The only reason he cuddled back was to get more comfortable for his nap. Nothing else.

 

A delicious smell of wafted through the air, causing all of the hybrids to wake from their slumber. Well, all, but Sehun. The little Ragdoll was usually one to prefer sleep over food, while the rest of the hybrid bunch was completely the opposite.

“What is that?” Tao asked, half lidded eyes struggling to open fully.

“It smells like pie.” Lay suggested. His eyes weren’t even open. Kai tried giving the rabbit some puppy kisses to wake him up.

“That’s hyungs special apple pie. I can recognize it anywhere.” Kai said, in between licks.

“Ooooh, the dessert.” Tao mewled happily. “Wake up, Hunnie.” Tao quickly began shaking the young kitten, trying to wake him up.

“Hey…cut it out…mrrrow…” Sehun meowed. Tao hopped off the couch and lifted Sehun up bridal style. The younger kitten wasn’t too happy about that, because he hated being carried around. But he was still pretty tired, so he didn’t stop Tao this time. The black cat carried his buddy into the kitchen, eagar to have some of that delicious smelling pie. Once Lay was more awake, he and Kai made their way to the kitchen as well.

There were five plates sitting on the countertop when the boys walked in. And each plate held one slice of pie and a large scoop of ice cream. D.O. appeared to have just finished setting the table, as he was putting a container of ice cream in the freezer when the hybrids walked in the room.

“Well, well, well. Look who’s awake.” D.O. chuckled. “Was it the smell of food that woke you guys up?”

Tao blushed. “Um, yeah.” He giggled. He sat Sehun in a stool and then proceeded to sit down next to him.

“Hyung.” Kai said happily, running to greet his owner with several licks to the face. Lay walked in behind him and took the other seat next to Sehun.

“Jongie, cut it out.” D.O. laughed. “Aren’t you ready for your dessert?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” the puppy panted. He pulled up a stool next to his glorious owner, wagging his tail in glee. D.O. laughed once more and started to feed the toy poodle his pie. Kai wiggled in his seat playfully, enjoying being fed by his precious hyung. Lay smiled at the sight.

“Mmmmm, this ice cream is so good.” Tao said. He and Sehun, being cats, immediately went for the ice cream first. Mainly due to the fact that they didn’t want it to melt, but also because they adored the milky treat.

“Do you like it, Sehunnie?” Lay asked. Sehun eyed that rabbit boy and simply let out a small grumble in return. Lay smiled happily at the response. He knew his kitty well enough to know that he was clearly enjoying the ice cream. If he didn’t like it, he would have said it. But the Ragdoll wasn’t one to make it outwardly known when he liked something, if he could help it. So the quieter he was when he ate, the more he was enjoying the meal. 

Since the kitties were feeding themselves and Kai was being taken care of by D.O., Lay had nothing to do other than to actually feed himself for once. Being a rabbit, he preferred to pick the fruit out of his pie, rather than eating it all as a whole.

“XingXing, why do you only eat the inside of the pie?” Kai asked.

“I like the apples the most.” The bunny replied, moving on to the ice cream.

“But hyung worked hard to make that crust.” Kai whined sadly. It’s not that he was mad at Lay. But his owner was such a good cook. He didn’t like to see any food he made not being completely finished.

“Oh…I guess you’re right. I’m sorry Kyungsoo.” Lay said, eyes becoming very sad. Before anyone could say anything else, a rather loud hiss was heard. Kai in particular was startled and clutched his arms around his owner in shock.

All eyes were on Sehun, who seemed a bit surprised at what had just happened. As if the hiss was not intentional. The Ragdoll quickly turned his head back to his food, but didn’t start eating. D.O. turned his attention to his puppy, who appeared to be fine overall. Probably just a bit spooked by the hissing. D.O. stroked the toy poodle’s hair in an effort to keep him calm.

“It’s fine Lay. You don’t have to eat the crust. I’m fine with you just eating what you want.” The short man said with a smile.

“Really?” 

“Of course. I’m honored that you like the apples so much that you want to eat them all first.”

“Okay, Soo. Thanks.” Lay said, his smile returning quickly. After that, Sehun began eating his ice cream once more. Tao gently petted the younger kitten’s ears. He wasn’t sure why Sehun had gotten so upset all of a sudden. Maybe because Lay was upset? It would explain why he seemed so surprised at himself. Regardless, Tao was happy that the Ragdoll seemed to be fine now.

"Just becuase someone doesn't eat an entire meal doesn't mean they don't like it, Jongin." D.O. said, still patting his puppy's head. "And we don't want to make others feel like they have to eat everything if they'd prefer not to." It was the gentle scolding that D.O. did with Kai. Nothing to harsh to make him upset, but enough to teach him a lesson for the future. The toy poodle nodded in understanding. Still, he did start feeling guilty over hurting Lay's feelings.

“Sorry Xing hyung.” Kai whined. “I just…I really like hyung’s food. And I get sad if people don’t eat it all. But I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.” 

“It’s okay, Jongie. No harm done. Want my crust?” the bunny offered. Kai nodded and scurried over to finish off the remainder of Lay’s pie.

D.O. smiled. “And there’s plenty more where that came from, so take as much as you want.”

After dessert, the quintet relaxed in the living room for a while, watching some dramas. Time seemed to fly by faster than they thought, as before they knew it, Kris and Suho had arrived to pick up their pets. 

“They weren’t any trouble, were they?” Suho asked. He was always worried about Sehun and Lay’s behavior when they visited other people’s houses, even his close friends. 

“Of course not, hyung.” D.O. laughed. “You know they could never be any trouble.”

“Well, not Lay I know. But that kitten…” Suho said, eying his duo. Lay currently had Sehun in his arms bridal style. They were standing in the front yard and it seemed that Lay was talking to Sehun about a tree, but the kitten seemed very disinterested.

“Seriously, hyung. Everything was fine.” D.O. said. “Kai loved every moment of it.”

“What about Tao?” Kris asked, walking up to the D.O. from within the house. “I know he can be…kind of, you know. Whiny.” The tall man glared at his Li Hua Mao, who was play-fighting with Kai in the front yard.

“Heh, you do spoil him a lot, hyung.” Suho chuckled, patting Kris on the back.

“Taozi was fine. He actually played big brother to Sehun for most of the time.”

“Really? Wow.”

“Well that must mean Sehun acted like a brat. He hates being babied. He’ll tolerate it with Lay of course, but other hybrids? Yikes.” Suho said, already knowing how his cat got when he was treated like an infant.

“Actually he was pretty good about it today. He didn’t fuss or complain at all.”

“Really?” Kris asked. He knew just as well as Suho how Sehun usually acted when Tao tried to baby him. 

“Yeah, he was totally fine with it. It surprised me quite a bit, actually.”

“Hm, maybe he’s becoming more comfortable letting himself be taken care of by people other than Lay.” Suho said with a smile.

“It might also be because Tao is a cat too. He might be more accepting of another feline.” Kris added.

“And hopefully he’ll warm up to dogs too.” D.O. said, hopeful for more positive interactions between his own toy poodle and the younger cat.

“Yeah.” Suho smiled.

“Well, thanks for everything Soo, but we need to head home.” Kris said, giving the shorter boy one last hug.

“Same, thanks Kyungsoo. You know we’re always available if you need us, too.” Suho said, joining the hug.

“It was no problem, guys. See you all later!” D.O. said, returning the hugs. 

The two men headed to their cars, and their hybrids followed behind happily. Kai, after giving Tao a final farewell, bounded back into his owner’s home. Once they were back inside, the duo headed back to the sofa, plopping down on it in unison.

“That was nice, wasn’t it?”

“It was fun, but Sehun hissing was scary. I don’t like hissing.” Kai said with a shiver. D.O. chuckled slightly. He knew Kai had a bit of a fear of cat hybrids, though he would never admit it directly. 

“I think he was just being a bit defensive of Lay.” The shorter man replied.

“I didn’t mean to hurt Lay’s feelings.” Kai whimpered. He hung his head sadly.

“He knew where you were coming from. I don’t think he or Sehun are upset with you.” D.O. ruffled the poodle’s bright blond hair.

“That’s good.”

“Did you enjoy your time with your friends, otherwise?” D.O. asked. 

“Yeah, I like being able to play with other hybrids.” Kai said, snuggling into D.O.’s chest. His golden hairs tickled his owner’s nostrils.

“I know, bud.” D.O. laughed, trying to gently push Kai down. He loved the pup, but wasn't too fond of dog hair directly in his nose. They snuggled for a bit longer before Kai seemed to get tired and simply rested his head in his owner’s lap. The duo was silent for a few minutes. And then Kai spoke up again.

“But I like our time together even more.” He looked deeply into his owner’s eyes and licked the man’s cheek.

“Really?” D.O. asked. He stroked Kai’s neck right above his collar.

“Mmm Hmm. It's nice playing with my freinds and doing hybrid stuff with them, but spending time with just you makes me even happier, hyung.”

D.O. smiled. Without even thinking, he pressed his lips to his puppy’s. It wasn’t a deep kiss per say, but it was full of love and endearment from the short red head to his hybrid. And honestly, he had to agree with Kai. Having neighbors over every once in a while was fun, but nothing could beat the special moments between only the two of them.

"I love you, Kyungsoo hyung." Kai said, resting his head back on his owner's chest.

“I love it too, Jongin.” He responded, stroking a hand down the toy poodle's back. "More than anything in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is what happens when you want to do a Kaisoo, KaiLay, and Taohun, but struggle thinking of ideas for 3 separate chapters so you smash them all together in one:/ I hope this didn't seem too cluttered. I do want to have some fluffy, shippy moments outside of the main pairings. Obviously not all will be covered, but variety is nice. Also, I'm sure you can all see that Sehundere is my weakness :P
> 
> Anyway, thank you everyone who is still following and reading these epilogues. I never thought they'd be so well received. You all are the best :)


	14. My Dear Deer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today has been a really wacky day, so sorry for the lateness of this upload. Hopefully you all enjoy it though :)

Luhan had been acting strange lately, Xiumin noticed. The deer hadn’t been his usual clingy self. Of course he was still clingy in general, but it was much less than usual and it was driving Xiumin crazy. He hadn’t been insisting on following his owner into the shower as much as usual, he wasn’t cooking as much food as he normally did, nor had he even been feeding him at every meal. Needless to say, Xiumin was close to losing it. Sure he did find Luhan a bit suffocating at times, but this sudden change with no kind of warning was almost too much to handle. He was definitely missing his deer’s cuddly antics. And he was intent on finding out the reason for his deer’s peculiar behavior.

“What do you think it is, hyung?” D.O. asked as he spoke to him over the phone. Since D.O. was the only one of Xiumin’s friends who also owned only one hybrid, he thought he’d be the easiest to speak to about this issue. 

“I don’t know. It’s so weird. He’s never acted like this before.” Xiumin replied in a whisper. He was spying on Luhan from another room as the deer prepared dinner and didn’t want the other to hear. 

“Has he said anything, you know…odd?”

“No, nothing. Actually, he’s been a lot quieter lately.”

“Really?” 

“Yeah. And it’s super weird.” Xiumin sighed. “I’m usually the quiet one and he tries to get me to talk. But recently it’s been the other way around.”

“Woah, that is strange.”

“And Kai’s never acted like this before?” Xiumin asked. Of course he wasn’t suggesting that Kai and D.O. would be having issues. He just though that Luhan’s behavior might have been based on being an only hybrid and was curious as if the young toy poodle had ever done anything similar. Being close to his owner’s own age, Luhan didn’t really look to Xiumin to fix his issues. Whenever the deer had a problem he’d keep it to himself and figure out how to handle it on his own. Kai on the other hand was a bit younger than D.O. so he was more open to telling the older man when something was wrong.

“Never that I can remember.” D.O. replied.

“Aigoo. I’m just so nervous. This is so unlike him.”

“Why don’t you just ask him hyung?”

“I mean, I don’t know.” Xiumin sighed. Truthfully, that was the most obvious move to make in terms of getting down to the problem. And Xiumin had been considering it. But, he just couldn't think of the words to say. Anytime he thought he’d mustered up enough courage to attempt it, he’d chicken out at the last second. “I guess I’m just…afraid.”

“Afraid? Of what?”

Xiumin sighed. “Of what his answer will be.” He said shyly.

“Oh. Yeah, that’s understandable.” D.O. replied. Truthfully he was at a loss as well. He’d never had to give his hyungs advice before. It was always the other way around. But he could definitely understand Xiumin’s fears. Heck, he’d probably be the same way if he was in a similar predicament with Kai.

“But you’re right, Soo. I should just hurry up and ask him what’s going on.” Xiumin thought about it and figured it was worse to let the issue continue rather than trying to help Luhan before he started getting more upset. What if Luhan hit his breaking point tomorrow? Xiumin would never forgive himself if he messed up the opportunity to figure out what was bothering his pet due to his own cowardice. 

“It’s for the best, hyung. You don’t want to wait until it’s too late.”

“Yeah.” Xiumin peered at Luhan behind the wall one more time. “I don’t.” 

 

Xiumin sat at the dinner table, staring at his own hands as he twiddled his thumbs while Luhan prepared their dinner plates. He was nervous. He was going to take D.O.’s advice and finally ask Luhan if anything was bothering him. But he had no idea what Luhan would say. What if he wasn’t happy anymore and was feeling neglected? Was he unhappy with how much Xiumin had been working lately? Maybe he didn’t think Xiumin cared that much about him anymore. What if…he wanted to leave?

All possible worst case scenarios flew around Xiumin’s brain as he tried to deduce what Luhan’s problem could have been. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed that Luhan had set his plate in front of him.

“Xiumin?” Luhan said quietly.

“Huh?”

“Are you okay?” The deer eyed at the plate in front of his owner.

“I…I…” Xiumin was at a loss for words. Should he ask Luhan now? Or maybe wait until after dinner? But would that be too late? 

“Yes, Seok?” 

“Why haven’t you been feeding me lately?” It wasn’t really the first thing he wanted to ask, but the question just slipped out. Though, honestly, this change in Luhan’s behavior had been bothering him the most. 

“Er, I…well um…it's...you know...uh...” the deer stuttered, something quite uncommon for him. In fact, Xiumin didn’t think he’d ever seen Luhan that nervous before. This was definitely something serious.

This was it. Xiumin had to ask now.

“Luhan, you’ve been acting really strange lately. I just need to know…are you unhappy here?”

It was the hardest question Xiumin could have ever asked his hybrid. He was more nervous for the answer than anything, but he needed to know. 

“What?! No, never! I love it here. I love you Minseok.” Luhan’s tone was very soft and endearing. Xiumin could tell that he definitely meant what he was saying. But if he was still happy, why he had been acting so strange?

“Then why have you been acting so…off? Is something wrong? Please, I need to know Han.” Xiumin rarely ever called Luhan by his first name. In fact it was so infrequent, sometimes Luhan thought that Xiumin forgot his real name. But of course he didn’t. He could never forget something like that. But Luhan was clearly taken off guard by it. The fact that he currently resembled, well… a deer caught in headlights certainly emphasized that fact.

“I…um…I…”

“Please, Luhan.”

There was a silence. The first awkward silence the duo had experienced. Both of their hearts were beating rapidly, each male nervous about what was about to happen next.

“I’m sorry, Min.” Luhan finally said. “I didn’t mean to act like this.”

“What’s wrong?” Xiumin was literally shaking. He was so nervous as to what could have been causing Luhan to become so upset. But he tried to remain as calm as possible. He needed to hear Luhan’s answer.

“I…um…” Luhan began. He’d been staring at his plate the entire time, and only just looked up at his owner. He took a deep breath before speaking. “Kim Minseok, will you go on a date with me?”

And all of the blood rushed out of Xiumin’s brain. He literally couldn’t think. He’d barely registered what Luhan had said and for a second he thought he’d misheard him. The shorter man felt like he was sweating bullets and was about to melt on the floor. And he didn’t even need a mirror to know that he was blushing like crazy.

“A date? With me?” he whispered finally.

“Mmm Hmm.”

“Really? Like a real date?”

“Yes, Seok.” 

It took all of Xiumin's strength not to pass out from nervousness. “I…I don’t know what to say.” Xiumin stuttered. It’s not that he didn’t want to go on a date with the deer. He had nothing against dating hybrids of course. But he would have never thought that something like this was the source of Luhan’s strange behavior. He also never imagined that anyone, especially someone as beautiful and amazing as Luhan would want to date someone as plain and boring as him.

“Well, a ‘yes’ would be nice.” Luhan said with a small smile. Probably trying to ease the mood.

Xiumin took several deep breaths before calmly giving his response. “I, yes. Yes I’d love to go on a date with you.”

“You would?” Luhan asked. And if Xiumin didn’t know any better, he almost thought he saw tears in Luhan’s eyes.

“Of course, Han.” Xiumin’s gummy smile shined brightly as he laughed to himself. He was almost dumbfounded at how he’d been overacting before this moment. Luhan appeared happier than Xiumin had ever seen him before and before he knew it, the deer had leapt out of his chair and happily pounced on top of his owner, licking his entire face with his long, sticky tounge.

“Is that why you’ve been acting so distant lately?” Xiumin asked. 

“I…I didn’t know how to ask you. And I kept getting scared that you’d say no. And recently I’d just been so nervous that I started avoiding you. I’m sorry Xiumin.” Luhan said, his eyes focused on the floor. It was clear that he’d felt bad.

“It’s okay, Lulu. I’m just happy that you weren’t upset with me.”

“Did you think that? I’m sorry for giving off that impression.” Luhan whispered. He rubbed his head against Xiumin’s. An act of apology. Xiumin kissed the deer’s pink hair and chuckled lightly.

“It’s good Lu.”

“Thank you.” The deer said, smiling shyly at his owner.

“No, thank you.”

The duo had forgotten about their dinner for a while, simply enjoying each other’s presence and comfort for a while. And it wasn’t until Xiumin’s stomach growled that they remembered what they’d been doing previously. The shorter man blushed and both chuckled. 

“Well, I guess this is as good a time as any to get back to normal.” Luhan said, grabbing a set of chopsticks and reaching for some bulgogi. Xiumin smiled and accepted the food, agreeing wholeheartedly with Luhan.

 

‘A date? Seriously, hyung?’ Kris’s message read. At first when Luhan had told Xiumin that he wanted to go on a date with him, he was incredibly happy. But after dinner, that excitedness turned into pure anxiety as he realized that he’d never been on a date before. Especially one with his best friend; a super pretty deer hybrid. Thus he had no idea what he should do other than to ask his friends. He decided that the simplest way to ask would be to message everyone in a group chat room online. 

It was something they did frequently when one of them had a problem and needed everyone’s help yet didn’t feel like making 3 different phone calls. Plus being able to speak to each other at the same time was helpful in getting everyone’s opinions at once. The only thing the men didn’t like was how their hybrids had talked them into picking the screen names that they had.

Baozi hyung: Yeah, seriously. He replied.

Rich hyung: That’s so cute~ :) Suho typed.

Baozi hyung: ‘Aigooo, Myeon:/ What do I do?’ 

Rich hyung: Beats me :p

Baozi hyung: Aish…

Baozi hyung: >:(

Squishy Soo: Shouldn’t we be asking Kris hyung what to do?

Galaxy hyung: Me? Why me?

Squishy Soo: You have the most experience with stuff like this.

Galaxy hyung: I do?

Rich hyung: Well you and Chanyeol are a couple after all.

Galaxy hyung: We are not a couple.

Galaxy hyung: Not like a ‘couple’ couple anyway.

Squishy Soo: Riiiiigggghhhht~

Galaxy hyung: We’re not >:(

Baozi hyung: What are you then?

Galaxy hyung: We’re just friends.

Rich hyung: You guys seem to act a lot more friendly than most ‘just friends’ that I know of.

Baozi hyung: Yeah, most ‘just friends’ don’t make out and cuddle like you guys do. 

Galaxy hyung: …

Galaxy hyung: Aigoo~ :(

Rich hyung: Aw :)

Baozi hyung: Guys focus. What do I do about my date with Luhan?

Squishy Soo: Just be yourself, hyung. Lu hyung loves you just the way you are. You don’t need to do anything special.

Rich hyung: Yeah, just like Kris hyung and Yeollie.

Galaxy hyung: We’re just friends.

Squishy Soo: Of course you are~

Baozi hyung: Alright alright. I have to get going. Thanks guys.

Rich hyung: No problem, hyung.

 

Meanwhile, Luhan was equally concerned about the upcoming date. So much that he was getting nervous, almost to the point of wanting to call it off. But he couldn’t do that. He’d spend too many weeks thinking about this and he’d finally gotten the courage to ask. He had to through with it now. Unsurprisingly, came up with the same plan as his owner. He jumped onto the special chatroom that the humans had prepared for their hybrids to speak to one another.

Baozi’s Deer: Guys, what do I do?

Unicorn healing bunny: I’m so proud of you Lu-ge. You finally asked Xiumin hyung on a date~

Rainbow Cat: We already went through that, Xing :/

Unicorn healing bunny: Oh yea~

AB Panda Kitty Peach TaoTao: I think you should buy him flowers.

AB Panda Kitty Peach TaoTao: Oh, and yarn~

ChennyChenChen: He won’t want that. Xiu hyung isn’t a cat:/

Beef hyung: Exactly. Get him some treats.

Elf Yeollie: I don’t think Xiu hyung wants to eat dog food.

Beef hyung: Squeaky toys then?

ChennyChenChen: Aren’t you supposed to be the oldest? Where are the good ideas?

Rainbow Cat: Dogs are so dumb.

Unicorn healing bunny: Don’t be mean Sehunnie >:(

Baozi’s Deer: Guuuuyyysss~

KamJong: Just be yourself, hyung.

KamJong: Xiumin hyung will love anything you do.

Beef hyung: Exactly ;)

AB Panda Kitty Peach TaoTao: What are you guys going to do anyway?

Baozi’s Deer: I’m taking him out to eat.

ChennyChenChen: You mean, to a restaurant?

ChennyChenChen: With lots of people?

Baozi’s Deer: Well, yes. 

Baozi’s Deer: But it’s in a more hybrid friendly area. So it should be fine.

Beef hyung: That’s great hyung.

Elf Yeollie: Yeah, it should be fun.

Unicorn healing bunny: Yay~

Unicorn healing bunny: I hope you have fun~

Rainbow Cat: Don’t make a fool of yourself hyung…

KamJong: You’ll be great hyung :)

AB Panda Kitty Peach TaoTao: Don’t forget the flowers, ge.

Beef hyung: And make sure you kiss him~

Elf Yeollie: Hee hee

Rainbow Cat: Ew

Unicorn healing bunny: Aw~

Baozi’s deer: Um, are you ‘siblings’ all on separate computers?

AB Panda Kitty Peach TaoTao: I’m on my phone.

Beef hyung: Me too.

ChennyChenChen: Me 2

ChennyChenChen: I mean 3

Elf Yeollie: I’m on my iPad. And me and Baek are in the same room.

Beef hyung: Baek and I. 

Unicorn healing bunny: Sehunnie and I are in the same room on our Laptops:)~

Rainbow Cat: Unfortunately:/

Unicorn healing bunny: :(

KamJong: Sometimes it’s nice being an only pet.

Baozi’s Deer : You said it.

 

10 pm and everyone was off their phones and other electronic devices. Everything had returned to normal in the Kim-Lu household. Luhan bathed Xiumin in the shower and fed him a pre-bedtime snack. And as usual, he sang his owner to sleep and peppered kisses across his sleeping face. Or at least, he thought he was asleep. Truthfully, Xiumin was so nervous about the date tomorrow that he couldn’t relax. But he pretended to be asleep for Luhan’s sake. So Luhan could enjoy singing to him and kissing him like usual. Right now, Xiumin’s only thoughts were to keep Luhan happy.

'Tomorrow’s the big day. Everything has to be perfect. I can’t mess this up. Luhan is too excited about this. I have to make sure everything is perfect for him.'

 

Luhan and Xiumin were both nervous. It was almost funny, considering that they lived in the same house. They could literally see how anxious and awkward the other was acting. 

Luhan was running from room to room, seemingly trying to fix his hair, clothes, and face all at the same time. He and Xiumin had decided to dress casually. There was no need to go overboard and dress up to try to impress someone they already knew anyway. And it’s not like they would have thought any less of the other. So Luhan had put on a shirt he’d purchased on a trip with Xiumin. It was a business trip that his owner had been lucky enough to take his hybrid on along with him. Though the human was really busy for most of the trip, on the final day, Luhan and Xiumin bought matching shirts and took a picture to remember the event. They had become the deer’s favorite clothing item since then. 

Xiumin had been wandering around mumbling to himself for the past few hours. And in that time he’d changed his shirt, pants, and shoes about 5 times. As soon as he put something on and deemed it good, he’d find it to be the ugliest thing ever in the next few minutes. The blond man was starting to get anxious. He knew he must have looked ridiculous to Luhan.

“Ugh, this isn’t good. I’m wasting so much time. I need to pick an outfit, now.” Xiumin whispered to himself.

“Um…Xiumin?”

Luhan was standing in the doorway to their shared room. He was holding up one of Ximin’s favorite outfits. It was just a normal T-shirt with the word Berlin printed on it. And he soon noticed that Luhan was also wearing his own version of the shirt; the only difference being the color of the word. Xiumin smiled. He knew how special those shirts were to Luhan. He loved being able to go on that business trip with his owner.

“I…er, well…if you haven’t picked anything out yet. I just thought that maybe…” Xiumin had already made it in front of Luhan and taken the shirt from him.

“This is perfect. Thanks Lulu.” Xiumin said.

“I mean, you don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to. I just thought it would be nice if we both had on our shirts.” The deer said with a large blush on his face. 

“For our first date, I wouldn’t wear anything else.” Xiumin pulled the deer ‘s face towards his own and pressed their lips together. He hadn’t intended for it to be much, but then Luhan cupped his tiny hyung’s face and deepened the kiss. It lasted for nearly a minute and a half before each of them pulled back. Luhan blushed in embarrassment.

“Sorry.” 

“Heh, let’s save that for after the date.” Xiumin said with a smirk.

 

The two men arrived to the restaurant rather early. After finally getting dressed, Luhan insisted that they leave immediately. He didn’t want anything to possibly go wrong, like losing their table or something. Xiumin didn’t see the need to leave so early, but this was Luhan’s special date, so he’d do anything the deer wanted of him. He grabbed a jean jacket in case it was cold in the restaurant or when they left, and Luhan put a cap on. Obviously the younger boy was opposed to it at first, thinking it was too casual for something like this, but Xiumin suggested it as he felt like it would help the deer relax.

“Besides, now we’re wearing the same outfit as when we first bought the shirts.” Xiumin said, as they looked over the menus.

“Hm, I guess you’re right, Min.” Luhan replied with a sheepish laugh.

“This is a really nice place Luhan.” It really was. It wasn’t a 5 star restaurant by far, but it was very clean and well decorated. Chandeliers hung over every table, the table cloth was very soft, and there were beautiful pieces of art adorning the walls.

“Is it really? Are you sure? We can leave if you don’t like it.” The deer said nervously. He wasn’t looking Xiumin in the eyes, obviously still nervous. The shorter man chuckled and placed his hand over his hybrid’s. The action caused Luhan to look up at his owner, and he was met with soft eyes and a bright smile.

“Everything is fine Lulu. No need to be nervous.” He rubbed his thumb over Luhan’s hand.

Luhan sighed. “I’m sorry, Seok.” Xiumin started to feel really bad. He could only imagine how Luhan was feeling right now. Of course he knew that the deer had a crush on him, but he’d never acted this nervous around his owner before. Not even when they first met. The men had also had some nice dinners at home that sometimes felt ‘date-like’ and Luhan had never acted like any of them were a big deal. So on one hand, it was totally understandable as to why Luhan would be feeling a bit more nervous going on a real date. 

At the same time, Xiumin was a bit shocked at how overall nervous Luhan actually seemed. He wasn’t speaking that much, held very little eye contact with his owner, and was visibly very jittery. Xiumin really couldn’t comprehend the thought that he was the cause of his deer’s mannerisms. Did Luhan really like him that much? Was he that worried about Xiumin not enjoying himself?

“Lu-ge, don’t be like this. Relax. I just want you to be yourself. Just be the cute, pretty deer that I already love so much.” And Xiumin could see Luhan visibly relax from the look in his eyes. His body became much less tense and he’d stopped shivering altogether.

“Okay. I’ll try. Thank you Xiumin.”

“Just think of it like we’re eating at home, Lu-ge. Just you and me and no one else around.” The man spread his arms out as if to illustrate his point.

“I will. Thank you.” Luhan smiled for the first time since they’d arrived at the restaurant.

Xiumin giggled to himself. It was kind of funny how Luhan, the one who normally calmed him down when he was nervous, now needed to be relaxed by his owner. It was almost cute how shy the deer was acting. But despite how adorable Xiumin found it to be, what mattered the most was making sure that Luhan was enjoying himself. 

“So…what do you think you’re going to order, Min?” Luhan asked. There was a bit of a stutter, but the deer certainly seemed to be relaxing. 

“I’m not sure yet. What about you?”

“I mean, I guess the only thing available for me would be a salad.” Luhan chuckled, eyeing the menu deeply. 

“Oh yeah.” There was a bit of sadness behind Xiumin’s voice. It was hard enough for all hybrids in general to enjoy themselves on an outing, but it was especially difficult for herbivore hybrids to be able to have a good outside dining experience. The simple truth was that most restaurants were meat heavy, with few options for herbivores other than a plain garden salad. 

“It’s okay, Min. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine with just a salad.”

“I just wish they gave you guys more options. And didn’t you say this is supposed to by a hybrid friendly place? How come don’t they have more choices available?” Xiumin asked, genuinely confused.

“Heh, I think ‘hybrid friendly’ just means they won’t kick us out as fast.” 

“Lu-ge…” Xiumin should have known better. He should have figured that the place wasn’t any more hybrid friendly than any other place. In fact, he was just noticing how there didn’t seem to be anything special to hybrids within the restaurant. The menu didn’t offer any special hybrid foods, there were no hybrid restrooms, not even a single image of a hybrid anywhere. Heck, aside from Luhan, he’d only seen one other hybrid in the building.

“Min, please don’t worry about me. It’s fine, really.” 

“So this place isn’t hybrid friendly?” Xiumin didn’t mean to sound that upset. He knew why Luhan would stretch the truth about the place to him, but he still didn’t like it. It bothered him whenever his dearest pet wasn’t totally honest with him. 

“I doesn’t matter. This is all about you tonight.”

“Luhan, this is for both of us. You should enjoy yourself just as much as me tonight.”

“All I need is for you to enjoy yourself for me to be happy.” Luhan said seriously.

“Well, I can’t be happy if you’re not happy.” Xiumin replied his voice slightly louder.

Both men sighed. Each was displeased with how everything was going and they hadn’t even ordered their meal yet. Xiumin knew that Luhan meant well, but there was no way he could enjoy a nice, romantic date if the object of his affections wasn’t as happy as he was. 

“I’m sorry, Luhan. I know you want this to be special for me, but I can’t enjoy myself if you aren’t. I couldn’t care less about how fancy the restaurant is. It’s nothing compared to you.” The shorter man rested his hand on top of the deer’s. Luhan stared silently at his menu for nearly an entire minute without saying a word.

“Do you…want to leave?” Luhan asked quietly. Xiumin paused. Truly he didn’t want to leave after Luhan spent so much work setting everything up. But at the same time, if there was a risk of Luhan being mistreated, he’d be much more comfortable just going somewhere else.

“I just want both of us to have a good time.” Xiumin said sincerely. “This is supposed to be something special for us and I want to enjoy it to the fullest.” 

Luhan was quiet again. Xiumin felt bad for his deer. He knew how important this was to him and he felt like he ruining it. 

“Well…how can we enjoy it to the fullest?” Luhan asked finally. It wasn’t what Xiumin expected him to ask. And honestly, he really didn’t have an answer. All he wanted was to have a good time with his precious deer hybrid.

“Excuse me, are you two ready to…oh…um…” Both Xiumin and Luhan were slightly startled by the waitress. Xiumin because he was so focused in his thoughts and Luhan because of the way the woman reacted to him. Xiumin could instantly tell from the look on her face that the woman was not 100% comfortable with a deer hybrid sitting in the restaurant. It was obvious that she hadn’t noticed that Luhan was a hybrid at first. It was more common than most people would think. Sure he had the antlers and tail, but his antlers were rather small and could easily be missed at a distance. Same with his tail. But Xiumin was already turned away just from this girl’s first reaction. He was already predicting an unpleasant night, and didn’t want any troubles for Luhan.

“Actually, now that I think about it…” Xiumin began, looking at Luhan rather than the waitress. “Can we order our meals to-go?”

 

“Aish, let me finish chewing first Lu.” Xiumin pouted, his words slightly unclear due to the food in his mouth.”

“You’re just so cute when you eat. I can’t take it.” Luhan cooed, lowering his meat bun holding hand. 

“At this rate, I’ll start choking.” 

Xiumin quickly swallowed what he’d been chewing so Luhan could feed him another piece of food. The pink haired deer happily offered him another meat bun, and simply watched him chew it happily.

“Aigoo, stop staring at me.” Xiumin whined, a blush spreading across his face. Luhan laughed his typical loud laughter and poked his owner’s stuffed cheeks.

The duo had decided to take their food to the local park and make their dinner date a picnic. They’d ordered a salad for Luhan, and a platter of meat buns, some chicken, lettuce wraps of beef, and rice for Xiumin. He didn’t plan on eating all of it in that one night, but at the rate Luhan was feeding him (he just loved seeing his owner’s adorable puffy cheeks) it might just end up happening. He’d deal with the stomach ache if it meant Luhan was happy though. More than anything, the atmosphere was much nicer to them. No people to bother Luhan, no overly stuffy environment; just the two if them. And that was just the way they liked it.

“Okay, how about a lettuce wrap next, Soekkie?” Luhan asked, already preparing one for the blond man.

“How about you eat some of your salad and give me a moment to digest.” Xiumin said, setting his food on the bench. Luhan pouted, but took his owner’s request and started eating his salad. He didn’t want Xiumin to get sick after all.

Xiumin smiled and wrapped an arm around Luhan’s shoulder. He reached up to gently caress the man’s antlers. 

“This is really nice Lulu.” Xiumin sighed, leaning onto his deer’s shoulder.

“Yeah, it is.” Xiumin looked at his pet with a concerned expression. His tone didn’t sound like he was all too happy.

“Is something wrong, Lulu?” Xiumin asked, sitting up to look Luhan in the eyes.

“I’m good. It’s just…” Luhan put down his fork and met his owner’s eyes. “I just feel like you deserve more than this. You’re worth so much more to me than sitting on a bench outside in the park.” Xiumin took in Luhan’s words and paused for a moment. He could feel his smile growing across his face. Then he pressed a kiss to the boy’s lips and Luhan was left blushing as pink as his hair.

“Sitting outside on a bench in the park with my Lu-ge is worth more to me than you could ever imagine.” Xiumin said.

"Minseok..." Luhan sighed. "I just want to give you the best I can offer."

"And I just want you to know..." A kiss was placed on the deer's nose. "...that anything you give is more than enough for me." Luhan blushed.He stuffed his face with another forkful of lettuce and kept quiet. Xiumin smiled, knowing good and well that he'd won. Then again, rarely was Luhan ever able to beat the king of sweetness that is Xiumin.

“Lu-ge, why did you want to ask me out?” Xiumin asked after a minute of silence.

“Huh?”

“I mean, we’ve had nice dinners at home before. Why did you want to go on a real, fancy date all of a sudden?”

Luhan was quiet. He stared at his half eaten salad almost unblinking. 

“I don’t really know, myself.” The deer said eventually. “It just…happened.”

Xiumin hummed in response. Somehow he felt that Luhan was holding back. Like he had a deeper reason behind his actions.

“Why?” Was all Xiumin asked. He knew that Luhan knew why did what he did. But why was he so nervous about it?

There was silence again. Luhan took a deep breath.

“I guess, I wanted to do something to show how I felt about you.” He said at last. “How much I really love you.”

“I know that you love me, Lu-ge. You didn’t need to do all of this.”

“I know, but…sometimes I feel like…I might lose you.”

“What?!” That was something Xiumin never expected.

“I mean, I know I shouldn’t feel this way, but sometimes I think…maybe you’ll meet someone else. Somene who’ll give you nice presents and take you out to eat. And then you wouldn’t care as much about the guy that just cooks you dinner.” Luhan spoke very softly as he explained himself. He took another bite of his salad just to ease the mood.

“Luhan, you do way more for me than just cook dinner." Xiumin said, quite shocked at how little Luhan thought of himself. "You feed me, comfort me, sing for me, do all of the chores, help me shower, you even try to help me with the taxes."

"Yeah, but still..." 

"And none of that matters. Because I love you. Not the stuff you do for me. I’m not going to start liking you less just because you don’t do extra, super special things for me.” Xiumin said. "So you have nothing to worry about."

“Really?” Luhan asked, gleaming eyes blinking slowly.

“Of course, not. Just knowing you is enough for me, Han.”

“Thank you, Minseok. I love you.”

“I love you too, Han.”

 

“So…want that lettuce wrap now?”

“Aigoo…you just want to feed me.” The older man pouted.

“Hey, I’ve got like 2 weeks to make up for.” Luhan said, holding up a lettce wrap of meat. Xiumin rolled his eyes and accepted the food.

 

He was glad that everything was back to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, the first Xiuhan was chapter 7, and now 7 chapters later I write another one :D Maybe I should make this a trend :P Nah, anyway as you can probaly guess, I had planned for this chapter to be much longer initially. It was going to be an actual, full date, just I just couldn't think of anything :( So, I decided to just move them to the park and make a super fluffy ending.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed, and I'll try to be on time next week :3


	15. Our Gaurdian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starring everyone's favorite rich hyung ;) Hope you all enjoy.

Suho loved his life. He loved his home, he loved his job, he loved his friends. But more than anything else, he loved his wonderful, beautiful hybrids. They had their weird quirks and odd tendancies, and sometimes Suho just got straight up annoyed with them. But nothing could stop him from loving them and thinking that they were the most perfect hybrids on the planet. He felt like the luckiest man on the planet every night he tucked them in and kissed them goodnight. And he could never imagine how he ever lived without them.

Suho first got Lay as a gift from his parents. Well, sort of. They gave his a large sum of money as a reward for how well the company had been improving since he’d become the manager. They wanted to buy him a present themselves, but their odd son was just too much of a ‘unique’ individual to buy for. So they simply gave him the money and told him to use it to buy whatever he wanted. 'Get his dream gift', they said.

And Suho had always wanted a bunny. 

He adored the long eared fluff balls. His parents however didn’t care for animals and never allowed the man to have any pets as a child. So at 23 years old, Suho went out to purchase his first pet rabbit.

Or so he thought. When he got to the pet store he headed straight to the rabbit section to look for his perfect pet. When he got there, he was met with a tall man yelling at what seemed to be a teenage boy wearing a gray hoodie. The boy was holding a large bag of what appeared to be pet treats in his arms.

“Please sir. I just want... to buy some food.” The boy begged.

“Your money is no good here. Get out!” The man yanked the bag out of the boy’s hands and pushed him away. Doing so caused the boy’s hood to fall off his head, revealing a long pair of blue ears.

It was a rabbit hybrid.

“For the last time, no owner, no purchase. Now get out before I call security.” The man huffed, putting the bag back on the shelf. The teenage looking boy sighed, his ears flopping to his shoulders. Slowly he turned around and walked towards the aisle exit. Also towards Suho.

“Oh, sorry sir. Um, I mean hyung.” The boy said, presumably apologizing about the event that just happened.

“You. Are you, alone?” Suho asked. “I mean, do you have an owner?”

“No.” It was then that Suho noticed that the other had an accent. 

“How old are you?”

“23.” At that, Suho was shocked. The rabbit hybrid was the same age as him, but looked much younger. He assumed that the male was high school aged at least.

“What’s your name? And where are you from?”

“China.” The bunny replied softly. “My name is Yixing.”

“Do you live around here, Yixing?”

And then the bunny was silent. His eyes focused on the ground, slowly blinking. The hybrid sniffled and shook his head. 

And that was enough for Suho. He grabbed the bag of treats that Yixing had been holding originally and purchased it along with some other rabbit foods. Then he and Yixing made their way back to Suho’s home. 

 

On the car ride home, Suho learned that Yixing was born in Changsha and lived there for most of his life. But when he was 19, he was taken from his homeland and sold as a working hybrid in Korea. It was a common practice that made Suho sick. Kidnapping hybrids from their homes to sell as maids and other house servants. It was especially common among rabbit hybrids since they were less aggressive and likely to complain like other hybrids.

Yixing was able to escape however and spent the last 4 years wandering around the streets of Korea. He slowly learned the language, but was never able to find a way to properly care for himself. The poor bunny had been surviving off of leftover food from restaurant dumpters or fallen fruit and vegatables from outdoor markets. Suho struggled not to tear up at the boy's story.

“Would you like to stay here, Yixing?” Suho asked as they sat at his kitchen table. Yixing was munching on a freshly made salad, topped with some of the rabbit treats Suho purchased. 

“I cannot intrude on you like that.” The bunny said with a sad smile.

“Yixing, it’s no trouble at all. I don't mind the company." Suho didn't want to plead with the boy and seem like a creep for desperately wanting a stranger to stay in his home. But he really did not want Yixing to leave.

"I'll be fine. I've been fine so far." The bunny said, not looking up from his food.

"I can’t just send you back out there.” Suho argued further. He's only just met Yixing 20 minutes ago, but he couldn't imagine letting him go now. Something inside of him was urging him to keep the rabbit safe. He wanted, no, needed to protect him.

“I don’t want to impose, hyung. Thank you for the food. I’ll leave when I’m done.”

“Yixing…” Suho felt terrible. The bunny was so sweet. He just couldn’t send the poor boy back out into the streets to be abused like he had been earlier than evening.

“It’s fine~” A beautiful, bright dimple popped up on Yixing’s cheek. He was too cute. 

“Yixing. You won’t be imposing on me. Honestly, you staying here would be a dream come true for me. I’ve always wanted a bunny. In fact, that’s why I was at the pet store this evening, to buy a pet. But I found you…” Suho paused. He hadn’t realized that he’d taken one of Yixing’s hand into his own and was staring deeply into his soft, half lidded eyes. “I think…it must have been fate.”

“Really?” Yixing asked. His pronunciation was a bit off, but Suho really couldn’t have cared at the moment. He could work on that later.

“Yes. Please stay Yixing.”

 

And Yixing did. He stayed with Suho since that day and it was the best decision he ever could have made. Suho was a wonderful man. He took care of all of Yixing’s needs and never asked for anything in return. They bonded quite quickly, mainly due to their close age, and within a month it was like they’d known each other their entire lives. 

Suho thought Yixing was adorable. He had beautiful, light blue hair and long floppy ears of the same color. Normally they flopped down past his shoulders, but depending on his mood, he was known to lift them up into the air. He also had the cutest dimples that seemed to always be present on his smiling face. Suho also noticed that the hybrid’s eyes tended to remain half closed at all times. It made the man always look sleepy, not to mention cute as heck. Thus, Suho took to calling the rabbit ‘Lay’, the Mandarin word for tired.

Lay was a wonderful pet on his own, but eventually, Suho figured he’d get the hybrid a buddy. The main reason was that Lay was extremely clingly. He loved being with Suho 24/7, but such a thing simply was not possible with the man’s job. He also adored caring for Suho like a young kit. He fed him, bathed him, cuddled him, sang hismto sleep, the basics of parenthood. But being the same age made that…just a bit awkward. Suho never said anything out loud about it. It's not like he didn't appreciate the hybrid's love after all. But he did think that Lay would have more fun with a younger hybrid that liked to be pampered.

He decided that getting a kitten hybrid would be the best since feline hybrids were known for preferring to be taken care of, rather than taking care of someone else.

 

And that was how they ended up with Sehun.

Sehun joined the household under…special circumstances. Just like Lay, the young boy also had a sad past. He and his littermates were taken from their parents due to their rare rainbow fur color to be sold on the black market. Sehun had been rescued from the online hybrid trade, but never had a solid home. He was passed from foster home to foster home, just waiting for the chance to be purchased by a willing owner. Such an experience eventually made him more distrusting and annoyed by humans. He hated being passed around like a toy from house to house, family to family just living there because he needed a roof to stay under. 

At one point he ended up with one of Suho’s co-workers and she sold him to the man after overhearing him speaking to another co-worker about wanting a kitty hybrid. She knew that he wanted a sweet kitten who wanted nothing other than to be pampered by an older hybrid.

She never mentioned that Sehun was the exact opposite of that description.

He hated being pampered. He hated other hybrids. He hated new humans. And he hated moving to new places.

When Suho first met Sehun, he thought he was adorable. Though the Ragdoll kitten looked irritated as all hell and seemed to have no interest in the man, Suho had a feeling deep down that the boy just didn’t know how to express his true emotions. Being taken from his parents and siblings at a young age obviously had that effect on him, but Suho and Lay were going to make it better.

They were lucky that Sehun was so much younger than them, being only around 18 at the time. As the hyungs, Sehun had to be respectful to them even if he wasn’t happy about it. He was very distant at first. He didn’t speak much nor did he spend much time with the older men. If he was sitting on the couch or his bed and one of the others came to sit with him, he’d leave the room and go somewhere else. But together, they found out what Sehun enjoyed and did what they needed to do to make him happy.

Lay adored the young boy. Despite how distant and quiet he was at first, Lay took it all in stride. He loved having a younger brother to feed, bathe, and care for. He became quite familiar with Sehun’s hissing in the beginning. He hissed when Lay tried to feed him, though eventually he’d accept the food (but not without a pout on his face). He hissed when Lay bathed him, though he always asked for more bubbles and toys in the bath (because it made it more comfortable). He hissed when Lay insisted that the kitten sleep in his den with him, though he’d always purred himself to sleep, snuggling with the bunny and his many unicorn toys (only because they were soft). Again, Lay took it all with a dimpled smile on his adorable face.

Sehun seemed to have settled in after a month (though the Ragdoll claimed that he just got tired of hissing since it hurt his throat). He accepted Lay’s brotherly antics with no complaints. He also became more friendly with Suho. He never sought the man out for cuddles or anything, but he’d stay where he was rather than leaving the room like he used to. Though Sehun claimed it was just because he didn’t feel like moving. 

“Really? Is that it?” Suho asked, scratching the kitten behind the ears.

“Mrrrrowww….I’m too comfortable to move. Besides, I was here first.” He pouted, burying his face into the couch. Suho chuckled. It seemed like the boy was doing everything in his power not to purr out loud. It was hilarious how Sehun had gone from wanting to be nowhere near Suho or Lay to snuggling up to them in bliss. It was especially adorable when Suho would randomly go in Sehun's room and start hugging him, and the kitten would silently cuddle up to him with a pout on his face. 

At that moment, Lay picked the kitten up, causing him to go limp; a common habit of his breed. The bunny then sat next to his owner, and lay Sehun on top of both of their laps.

“Comfy Sehunnie?” the bunny asked.

“It doesn’t matter. He was here first.” Suho joked, gently stroking the cat’s cheeks. Lay started gently rubbing the kitty’s rear end, an act that always relaxed him. And this time, the Ragdoll couldn’t help but purr. Suho and Lay smiled at each other as the petted the kitten to sleep. 

He was wonderful.

 

And now, Suho considered his life with his hybrids perfect. His boys got along wonderfully. They were friendly with other humans and hybrids even with their rough past. And both seemed truly happy. Most importantly, Suho was glad that it seemed that his hybrids loved him as much as he loved them. 

 

“Thank you for brushing my ears, hyung~” Lay hummed.

“Why do you always thank me? I’m your owner; I’m supposed to keep you groomed.” Suho chuckled, giving Lay a peck on the forehead.

“I never want you to busy yourself because of me.” Lay said quietly. 

“You’ve always been that way. But I’ve told you that I don’t mind. Taking care of you will never be a chore for me, Lay.” Suho replied.

“Thank you, hyung.”

“Yah, I just said not to thank me.” Suho laughed. And Lay laughed too, his bright dimple beaming.

 

“Suho hyung!” Sehun hissed.

“What is it Hunnie?”

“When is Lay hyung coming back?” The kitten asked with a pout.

“I told you, he’ll be back Friday, sweetie.” Suho replied, a sad smile on his face.

“Why did he leave?! How could he do this to us?!”

“Hunnie…you know why he went on the rabbit retreat. How often does he get to spend time with other bunny hybrids?”

“Ugh. Why does he need to spend time with other rabbits, anyway?” the kitten turned over in his bed, still frowning.

Suho sighed. He knew how much Sehun was missing his hyung. Sure the kitten acted like Lay’s constant attention was annoying, but everyone knew that Sehun loved being cared for by his hybrid hyung more than anything else.

Suho climbed on the bed and sat right next to Sehun. He pulled the boy close to him, so that Sehun’s head was resting in his lap. While stroking the boy’s hair, he softly began to sing one of his favorite songs. It was a Mandarin song Lay loved and sang all the time. He knew that the boy fell asleep the quickest whenever someone sang him a lullaby. He hoped that singing the Mandarin song would make him think of Lay and fall asleep quicker. 

His plan seemed to work. Sehun had snuggled even closer to his owner and within minutes he was asleep. Suho smiled a pressed a kiss on the kitten’s head. He gently pulled away to turn off the lights and head to his own room.

“Stay…” he heard the kitten whine. Suho smiled again and patted the boy’s hair.

“I’m just going to turn off the light. I’ll sleep in here tonight.” Suho whispered.

“And…tomorrow.” Sehun yawned.

“Yes, sweetie. Until, Lay gets back.”

 

“Here Lay, drink some more orange juice.” Suho said, holding the glass to his bunny’s mouth. Slowly the rabbit took a small sip of the drink, not wanting to take too much.

“Sniff, I’m sorry I got sick, Myeon hyung…” Lay moaned, a tear falling down his face.

“Lay, it’s not your fault. It’s a stomach bug. You probably just got it from something you ate.” Suho wiped the tear away and set down the glass.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have eaten it.” Lay said. His voice was very weak. 

“If anything, it’s my fault, Lay. I must not have washed everything really well. Or maybe I bought something that had expired. I was kind of rushing to get out the store the other day. I may have picked some bad veggies without even noticing.” Suho said sadly, rubbing his bunny’s long ear.

“I just…I hate making you and Sehun take care of me.”

“Yixing, you should never feel bad about needing to be taken care of. You deserve it with everything you do for Hunnie and I anyway.”

Lay sniffled again. He always felt like he was a burden if someone else had to do something for him. And Suho hated how he felt that way. He was too sweet to feel bad for something that wasn’t even a problem.

“Yixing, Sehun and I love you. And we love being able to do anything that can help you whenever you need it. You will never be a bother to us, no matter what.” Suho said, pressing a kiss to the sick bunny.

“Sniff, than gyu hyun…” the boy stuttered out as more tears fell from his eyes. And Suho pulled the rabbit into a hug.

 

“Like your new toy, Hunnie?” Suho chuckled.

“Nyaaa…nya….purrrr….mwrrrrow….” Was all Sehun could respond. He was too caught up into the catnip stuffed dog plushie that Suho had surprised him with. He’d been nuzzling his face into it for about 30 minutes, nothing put content purrs reverberating from his throat.

“And here I thought you didn’t like dogs.” 

“Vivi isn’t a dog. He’s…a toy.”

“A toy puppy.” Lay giggled. Sehun stuck his tongue out at Lay and snuggled closer to Suho on the couch, his precious Vivi wrapped in his arms.

“He loves it because it’s from you, hyung.” Lay said, resting his head on Suho’s shoulder. Suho smiled and stroked the nape of Sehun’s neck.

“I justlike the catnip.” Sehun pouted. He pressed his face into his toy. Both to take in more of the scent of catnip, and also to hide his blush. Suho only grinned harded.

 

Yes. Suho loved being an owner to Sehun and Lay. He loved taking care of them. He loved providing for them. He loved knowing them. He was their best friend. He was their guardian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've done so much Layhun, but I feel like I've barely given Suho that much focus as an individual. I know I focused a lot on Lay and Sehun here since I had to give their backstories, but hopefully I gave Suho the focus he deserved as well.
> 
> Thank you all for reading :)


	16. Movie Madness: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm late again, but I hope you all enjoy anyway :)

“Hey, move over hyung!” Chen barked.

“You’re on my tail…” Tao whined.

“Someone’s pulling my ear~” Lay whispered softly.

“Ow, my antler!” Luhan said with a huff.

“Yah, will you guys be quiet!” Xiumin scolded.

“Aish, we haven’t even started the movie and you guys already won’t shut up.” Kris commented, sitting down two large bowls of popcorn. 

He was met with an incompressible chorus of yowls, snarls, and other sounds he couldn’t even describe. Both blond men sighed. Each had been nervous about the event throughout the entire week. The humans proposed on having a movie party at Suho’s home with all of their hybrids a week ago. Upon hearing the plans, all hybrids immediately agreed to it. They were thrilled at the idea of having a huge event with all of their friends. They had a blast at the Christmas Party, so surely this would be just as fun.

Or so they thought.

Sitting as a group of 8 smooshed hybrids on Suho’s couch was making them slowly reconsider. They’d easily chosen Suho’s house as the place for the event based on several factors; the main one being that it was the largest. He also had a room that acted as a ‘theater’ in the way that it had a large flat screen with surround speakers, and a comfy couch. The problem was that there was only one couch and it was rather small. Usually it was just Suho and his 2 hybrids, so there were no issues with space. But he completely overlooked the fact that he’d have 9 other beings to accommodate for during the party. 

Understandably, D.O. suggested bringing Suho’s living room couch into the theater room to create enough sitting room for everyone. But all of the hybrids wanted to be on the comfy theater couch and none we’re willing to give up space for the other one.

“It’s cramped, ge…” Tao mewed sadly.

“Well sorry, but you guys all wanted to stay on this couch. You’ll just have to deal with it Taozi.” Kris replied, ruffling the boy’s ears.

“Or you could sit with your hyungs on the other couch.” Suho said happily as he set down a handful of candy boxes.

Tao paused for a second, seemingly thinking about the situation. He let out a small hiss and pouted to himself.

“But I wanna sit on this couch.” He mewed. Kris shrugged.

“Sorry, nothing I can do.”

“Sehun and Lay, you two don’t even need to be on there. You can sit on there at any time.” Suho said. “Why don’t you move to the other couch?”

“Nyaaaa…that’s not fair!” Sehun pouted. Obviously the little brat cat wasn’t going give up his comfy seat for a bunch of other hybrids that didn’t even live there. Especially when a bunch of them were dogs. He had to let them know that it was his territory.

“Why don’t you guys try to sit comfortably? You’re making it even worse by laying the way you are.” Xiumin said, taking his own seat next to Suho on the other couch.

The man was completely correct. All of the hybrids were literally in a jumbled dog pile. Lay was in the center sitting normally with Sehun draped across his lap. Kai was closely pressed into Lay’s right side with Chanyeol on the opposite side of him. Chen’s upper body was smooshed into Chanyeol’s chest and his legs were pressed into Kai’s back. Tao was on Lay’s right. He was on top of Sehun’s upper body with his own lower body being used as a pillow by Baekhyun. The beagle was sprawled out with his legs hanging off the arm rest. Luhan was at the very edge turned sideways, his knees hugged to his chest as he had no other space. 

“But we’re warmer this way~” Lay said, head tilted as if he couldn’t fathom why their owners would suggest that they move. The humans just sighed. Obviously trying to convince a group of overly cuddly hybrids, whose natural instinct was to huddle next to their pack mates for warmth, to spread apart wouldn’t happen easily.

“Well try to get as comfortable as possible.” Xiumin said, giving up.

“Why don’t you guys join us?” Kai asked, his eyes locked on his owner.

“You want to add more people to that squished mess?” Kris asked, flabbergasted. The hybrids exchanged looks between each other.

"We want you guys to be close to us~." Lay hummed. 

"Um, I don't think so." D.O. said nervously. He loved the hybrids, but he really wasn't in the mood to be squished by all 9 of them on a small couch. 

“But it’s warm…” Tao said, thinking it a perfectly good reason to join the huddle.

“It’s cramped.” Xiumin said, also really not wanting to sit in the pile of hybrids. The puppies began to whimper, pleading with their owners with large eyes. Tao began to mew pitifully, his usual tactic of trying to get what he wanted.

“But…we already pulled the other couch in here…” Kris was at a loss. He could already foresee how this was going to turn out. When it came to the hybirds begging for something from their owners, they usually got it in an instance. 

“It’s no use, hyung.” Suho said, patting the man on the back. “We can’t win this.” At that, the short man began looking for a place to squeeze into the pool of hybrids.

At that moment, D.O. began handing out the snacks. He placed a bowl of popcorn on the left, right, and center huddles of the hybrid couch. Then he handed out small boxes of nachos so that they could be shared among pairs. Lastly, he gave each pet an individual plate holding 3 slices of pizza. He hoped that would be enough to satisfy everyone for at least the first 45 minutes, but seeing as they had to deal with ever hungry Tao, Chen, Chanyeol, and even Xiumin, he doubted it.

“Sorry hyung, but I think it’s going to be a huge mess in here after this is over.” The younger man said to the house owner.

“It’s no problem, Soo.” Suho said with a smile. He was still trying to awkwardly place himself into the hybrid huddle.

“What are we watching anyway?” Baekhyun asked. 

“It’s called Mr. Six.” Xiumin said, trying to lay comfortably behind Luhan and Baekhyun. Obviously, that wasn’t going to happen considering what little space his own deer had.

“What is that? A comedy?” Chen asked, reaching for one of the bowls of popcorn.

“I think it’s just an action movie.” Kris said as he examined the movie box. He had heard about the movie from a friend back in China. He wasn’t all too interested in it, just hearing about the plot. But he watched some trailers online and found out that there was really hot supporting character. So he thought he’d give it a try. And what better way than at their movie party?

“Man, that’s lame.” Kai said. “I wanted a horror movie.”

“Kai, you know Tao doesn’t like scary movies.” Suho laughed sheepishly.

“What do you mean? I watch scary movies all the time. You’re the one who doesn’t like them.” Tao meowed. Suho just laughed louder.

“Yeah, don’t you remember that time we told Suho hyung we were going to watch a comedy, but it was really a horror!” Baekhyun barked loudly. 

“Bwahahahahahahahahaha, that was hilarious!” Chen laughed, nearly choking on his pizza.

“Whatever it is, let’s start it already.” D.O. said, eating some of his own nachos. He was oddly wedged behind Chanyeol, Kai, and Chen and was just trying to keep his food from falling everywhere. Not that it really mattered; he was sure each dog had already taken at least one chip from his box.

"Just a second and…alright it’s started.” Suho said. He pressed a button on a remote and dimmed the lights.

Tao shivered slightly. The kitten had a slight fear of the dark. The surrounding hybrids instantly sensed his discomfort and moved to calm him. Luhan gently rubbed his thighs, Baekhyun caressed the tail that was wrapped around his waist, and Lay groomed his fringe. Kris, who’d taken a spot behind them, also began to pet his kitten, already aware of the situation.

“Now remember that this movie is in Chinese, guys.” Kris reminded them.

“That means Taozi needs to translate for us.” Kai chuckled.

“Wae…”

“There are subtitles.” Suho assured them.

Typically, once the movie started, hybrids were 100% focused on the screen. The actual dialogue of the characters was somewhat muffled by the obnoxious sounds of chewing from the 8 pets. In some way it was a positive that a majority of the viewers were only relying on subtitles since they were mainly focused on reading them. Unfortunately, the fact that many of them couldn’t perfectly understand anything didn’t keep them any quieter.

“Oooooh, who’s that hyung? Is it the villain?” Chanyeol asked, voice extremely loud.

“No, it’s the hero.” Sehun hissed. 

“How can he be the hero? He looks evil.”

“Because we saw him first.” 

“Movies can start with the antagonist, too.” Kris deadpanned.

“Yah, Lu hyung, what is he saying? Isn’t he the villain?” Chanyeol asked.

“Just read the subs. They’re right there.” Luhan said gesturing towards the screen.

“What if they’re wrong?” Chen suggested.

“Why would they be wrong?” the deer asked. Both beagles looked at each other in confusion, neither having an answer.

“If they’re wrong, this is a fake version.” Kai said.

“Fake?! You mean illegal?!” Tao whined.

“Junmyeon hyung wouldn’t get an illegal movie~” Lay said. “Would you…?”

“Aish, can you guys keep it down!” D.O. yelled. Even in the darkness, the hybrids could tell that he had a very irritated look on his face. “If we all have to be smooshed on this couch, you better at least lower the volume.”

And it was quiet. Despite his size, D.O. could be scary when he wanted to be. Even now, when he was surrounded by 2 very tall dog hybrids. In fact, Chanyeol was the one who was usually most frightened by the small man. 

The hybrids tried to keep their chatter to a minimum as the movie continued. There was still the angry growl or bark from the canines whenever the action kicked up, but overall, everything was calmer. Lay had fallen asleep, something he tended to do whenever he watched a movie in the dark. It wasn't surprising that, Lay was rarely ever able to watch movies completely from start to finish in one sitting. 

Suho grabbed a pillow and pushed it behind the bunny’s head so he wouldn’t have a sore neck when he woke up.

In his sleeping state, Lay’s arms relaxed from their position around Sehun’s body. And the kitten wasn’t all too happy about that. He wanted attention from his bunny hyung, even if it was just through a hug. He'd never say that out loud though, so he tried nudging the older with his head, but with no results. Once Lay was out, he was out. Tao seemed to sense the younger’s frustration and began grooming his face. Kai also picked up on Ragdoll’s aggravation and crawled closer to the kitten to give him some puppy kisses. Sehun grumbled quietly. He’d much rather Lay’s clinginess over an annoying whiny cat and a smelly dog. Unfortunately, he was unable to move from his cramped spot and thus had the take the loving from his fellow maknaes.

Luhan eventually got tired of hugging his knees (plus his butt was getting sore) and draped himself over Baekhyun’s body. The beagle didn’t mind. He was too busy trying to single handedly finish the bowl of popcorn to really even pay attention. So of course Luhan had to lean in over the bowl and lap up some of the snack with his long, sticky tongue. Baekhyun whined but was powerless to do much else. Even in a battle of carnivore vs. herbivore, the hyung always ruled. Kris rubbed the deer boy’s antlers as he calmly ate. He was always interested in the unique appendages of less common hybrids. 

“Oh, it’s the pretty guy.” Tao hummed happily upon seeing the supporting male on screen. He was only kicking a can around on the ground, but man did those legs look nice.

Baekhyun cat whistled. “Wooo, that guy is HOT!” 

“He is pretty attractive.” Suho said, munching on Lay’s uneaten third slice of pizza.

“He looks kind of like Kris hyung.” Chanyeol said quietly.

“Wae? That drop dead gorgeous babe looks nothing like Kris hyung.” Baekhyun laughed.

“Are you saying that I’m not handsome?” Kris whined. A rare, odd form of a pout was stiched on his face.

“You are…but that guy…he’s just…”

“Beautiful.” Tao said it in Mandarin.

“Exactly.” Baekhyun agreed, though he had no idea what Tao had said.

Kris sulked to himself. Sure the guy was hot, but he thought he was pretty attractive as well.

Yah, why am I getting so worked up over some random actor? I bet he doesn’t even look like that in real life. He probably has craptons of makeup on anyway.

“Don’t worry about it Duizang. You’re still decently appealing to us.” Kai joked, earing some snickers from the others.

“Yeah. You’re okay, Kris.” Luhan added. Kris just pouted some more.

Chen yawned about halfway through the film. He tended to tire easily. It wasn't all too often, but it was frequent enough for his buddies to be used to it. They figured that it was most likely due to his cat genes. 

“Tired?” Chanyeol whispered, stroking the older beagle’s ears.

“Naaaaah….” He meowed quietly. 

He snuggled closer to Chanyeol’s chest and closed his eyes. Chanyeol giggled. It was obvious that he was indeed getting sleepy. The silver beagle covered the smaller catdog with a nearby blanket, allowing him to get comfortable in case he was to fall asleep. Chen tried to fight it, but it was hard with Chanyeol licking and nuzzling his face. The pup couldn’t resist fondling Chen’s drowsy face in an effort to calm him to sleep. His tiny hyung was just too cute. And lucky for D.O., with Chen curled up, it gave him more space to stretch his legs. He pressed his body to Chanyeol’s back and the large beagle pulled the small human closer. He loved all the skinship that was going on around him. 

D.O. shivered slightly. Sure Kai was cuddly and D.O. wad fond of cuddling hybrids, but Chanyeol was super clingy and loved just plain old physical contact with anyone. It’s not that D.O. didn’t want to cuddle with Chanyeol, but he was much larger and stronger than Kai which always made D.O. a bit nervous to be hugged by him. 

Yet, he always found himself surprised at how truly gentle the huge pup was. Chanyeol lightly rubbed D.O.’s back, a very soothing action that made the short man more comfortable being in the beagle’s arms. He snuggled up just a bit closer to the big lug, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“Ugh…when is someone going to die already?” Sehun growled.

“Sehun!” Suho said dramatically, his hand over his chest.

“Yeah…”

“Why are you so violent, man?” Kai asked. His head was pressed dangerously close to Sehun’s. In fact, the toy poodle was practically kissing Sehun’s cheek.

“This is boring. The only cool movies are the ones where people die.” Sehun replied, trying to avoid looking Kai in the eyes.

“Not the pretty guy!” Tao meowed. He’d pulled back from Sehun after Kai started acting extra cuddly with the other kitty, and moved away to give them more space to be initmate, totally unaware that Sehun actaully wanted to get further away from the puppy. Reagrdless, Tao now lay cuddled in the arms of his glorious owner and was loving all of the attention he was getting for himself.

“No, not him.” Sehun replied.

“Who then?” Xiumin asked. He was absentmindedly rubbing Baekhyun’s back, causing the beagle to wag his tail in bliss. Said tail would whack him in the mouth every so often, but he didn't mind it all too much. Seeing the happy look on the beagle's face was enough to keep Xiumin content.

“That old guy can go.” Luhan said nonchalantly. 

“What old guy?” Suho asked. He hadn't recalled seeing one elderly character yet.

“That 40 or 50 year old looking guy.” The deer replied.

“Since when is 40 old?”

“It’s old to me.”

“You’re one of the oldest ones here.” Sehun yawned.

“I’m still younger than him.” Luhan argued, stick his tongue out at the kitten.

“Huh…what…is the movie over…” Lay asked as he jolted awake. 

“Nope, go back to sleep.” Baekhyun said, pushing the bunny back onto his pillow.

“Aigooo, I want to see how it ends.” Lay pouted. Kris ruffled the boy’s hair.

"You'll have to stay awake then." The tall blond said.

“Sehun was sad when you fell asleep on him.” Kai said, wiggling his body in glee.

“What?!” Sehun nearly fell on the floor. He could feel the sweat beading up on his face.

“Really~” Lay asked, dimple visible even in the dark.

“Yeah. You should have seen the way he was rubbing on you, trying to wake you up.” Kai rubbed against Lay like a cat to illustrate his point.

“I wasth not!” Sehun hissed angrily.

“He lisped! He lisped!” Chanyeol howled loudly.

“Hahahahahahahaahah, exposed!” Chen barked.

“When did you wake up?” D.O. asked.

“I was never asleep.” The dog said. His words were promptly followed by a yawn.

“Are we even watching the movie anymore?” Xiumin asked. His words were muffled by Baekhyun’s tail. 

“I want to see how it ends…” Lay whined cutely.

“Me too. I want to see what happens to the handsome man.” Tao mewled, nuzzling his head against his own attractive owner.

“It’s almost over guys. Let’s just keep it down and finish it.” Kris said, stroking Tao under his chin.

“Are there anymore snacks?” Kai whined.

“Yeah…on the floor.” Chen said, reaching for some popcorn on the carpet.

“I think there’s candy stuck in my tail.” Tao mumbled as he pulled a large sticky substance from his fluffy tail. “Ow!”

“Aish, these kids can’t be quiet for 5 seconds.” Xiumin said, rubbing Baekhyun’s ear in-between two fingers. The beagle panted happily, totally unconcerned by the conversations going on around him.

“C’mon everyone, let’s finish and then we can have some more snacks later.” Suho said. 

“Seriously hyung?” D.O. sighed.

“Yaaaaaaaaay!” all hybrids cheered, thus making the room extremely loud once more.

“But if it gets too noisy again, no treats.” Suho said with a smile.

With the promise of food in the air, all of covered their mouths and focused their attention solely on the film. And not including the anxious whines and mews that sounded the room whenever their favorite actor appeared on screen, they managed to remain silent for the remainder of the movie.

 

Once the film finished, the hybrids cheered with a chorus of howls, yowls, and other strange sounds. One by one, everyone slowly removed themselves from the crowded theater couch.

“Uggghhh, my legs are killing me.” Kris moaned.

“My back is killing me.” D.O. groaned. He was hunched over like an old man.

“My tail is all messed up.” Sehun pouted.

“I’ll brush it for you.” Lay pulled the kitten into his arms, not even waiting for an answer. And just like a Ragdoll, the boy went limp in his hyung’s arms.

“What about the snacks?” Tao mewed, wrapping Suho into a back hug. 

“Okay, c’mon. Let’s go get the snacks.” He took the ebony cat by the arm and walked him out of the room.

“Hey, wait for me!” Chen barked, dashing out of the room. And of course, every other hybrid followed behind him in a stampede. The remaining humans just sat and stared, amazed at how the hybrids could move so fast after being squished on a couch for so long.

“What the heck? Are they not sore at all?” D.O. moaned; his back still in pain. He sat down on the living room couch, hunching over the arm rest.

“They probably just ignore it.” Xiumin said, reaching over to massage the aching boy. “Once hybrids hear ‘food’, all sense of pain seems to leave their bodies.”

“Wish I had that.” Kris grumbled. His extremely long legs were not quick to recover after being smooshed behind Lay, Tao, and Baekhyun for 2 hours. 

“Should we head in there? I don’t know if Su-hyung can handle 8 hybrids by himself.” D.O. said. Though to be honest, he really didn’t want to move. The massage from Xiumin was feeling really nice and he didn’t want it to end just yet.

“Ugh, not me. Not yet. I think I need at least 20 minutes to rest my legs.” Kris pulled himself to lay straight across the couch, taking up the entirety of it.

“Works for me.” Xiumin added. “But uh, I don’t know if I can stay in here.”

“Why not?” Kris asked.

“Because this place is a mess.”

‘A mess’ was an understatement. The once beautiful couch looked like an absolute mess. There was popcorn covering and surrounding the couch. Candy was stuck to the couch pillows, some blankets, and the rug. Nacho crumbs and cheese were stained into the nice fabric. And of course, fur was everywhere. Kris was so caught up in his sore legs that he hadn’t even noticed the state of the furniture.

“Aaaaaaahhh! This is disgusting!” The man barely registered what he was doing as he threw himself off of the couch. Which of course, only brought more pain to his legs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, I wanted to try something different with this one, and show off some interactions we haven't seen that much of, like Chansoo and Xiubaek. So of course I pulled a 'Playdate' and decided to have everyone together in one location. And as you can also see, it's a 2 parter, so if you liked this, there's more to come :)
> 
> Also, sorry if the Mr. Six refrences don't coinside with the actual movie. I never watched it, but I needed something for these guys to watch and simply asked my sis who is a Kris stan if she knew anything about the movie and I used what little she could tell me. So sorry if it was totally inaccurate.
> 
> Thank you all for reading :)


	17. Movie Madness: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's continue with this wacky movie party :)

Meanwhile in the kitchen, the hybrid had started yet another feeding frenzy. Suho decided to just bring out a bunch of their favorites, like bulgogi, samgyupsal, salmon, and some fruit dishes.

“Isn’t there anymore pizza, hyung?” Tao mewed sadly. His pouting face was resting on the dining table, making it slightly hard to decipher what he was saying. Not that it was an issue for the kitty’s friends.

“I think we ate it all Taozi, but check in the fridge.” Suho said, flipping two large pieces of salmon in a pan. Tao quickly made his way to the refrigerator, which was surrounded by his beagle housemates who were all grabbing random handfuls of food.

“Uho hung, ur da est.” Was all that one could make out from Baekhyun. His cheeks were full of food and there was a large piece of bread sticking out of his mouth.

“Yeah, we’ll have to go shopping with you to buy more food tomorrow.” Chen added. He was currently in the process of making a large sandwich on the floor. Chanyeol was belly down on the floor next to him, munching on some teriyaki chicken. He was waiting in anticipation for his hyung to finish making the sandwhich, hoping he'd get a bite.

“It’s no problem, puppies.” The generous man said. He simply couldn’t resist spoiling hybrids. 

“Is the meat ready, Myeon hyung?” Kai asked, small fluffy tail wagging eagerly. He was sitting on Lay’s lap in the place of Sehun. The Ragdoll currently on the floor using Chanyeol’s back as a pillow.

“Yep, c’mon and get it.” He said with a smile. Before either of them could move, Luhan took it from the shorter man’s hands and set it on the table for the others.

“Thanks hyung!” Kai barked, diving head first into the samgyupsal. That proved to be a fatal mistake as the puppy burned his teeth and tongue instantly. “Ow ow owie, hot hot hot!” The dog moaned, dunking his tongue into Lay’s glass of water.

“Are you okay, Jongie?” The concerned bunny asked. He quickly started blowing into the glass of water, hoping it would aid in removing the boy's pain.

“Kai, you know you need to wait for it to cool.” Suho said, patting the toy poodle’s head. He whined in distress, his poor tongue still sore.

"Bu I stho hungie..." The pup moaned, tears starting to cloud his eyes. Lay pressed kisses to the puppy's neck in an effort to comfort him.

“Yah, Suho are you cooking in here?” Everyone turned to see D.O. walking into the room in a rather hunched position. Xiumin was right at his side, rubbing the shorter man’s back.

“Just a little snack.” Suho replied. “And what happened to you?”

“Little snack? Looks like you’re making a whole new meal.” Xiumin analyzed the room and wondered how a bunch of beagles stuffing their face on the floor, a deer munching on a large fruit salad, and a cat hovering over a cooking salmon equaled a ‘little snack’.

“Wha appened to or back, hyung?” Kai asked, his tounge hanging out of his mouth as he spoke. D.O. immediately noticed how red it looked. 

“My back is still hurting from being smooshed on a couch with everyone for 2 hours.” He groaned. “And what happened to you?”

“He burned his tongue on the meat.” Lay said. He was blowing the meat on the plate and wrapping it into small, cool lettuce wraps for the puppy.

“Ouch.” Xiumin said, making a twisted face.

“That’s why I only eat fruit and vegetables.” Luhan chuckled, taking a large bite out of an apple. “You can eat them cold and raw.”

“You only eat them because you can’t eat anything else.” Tao said, taking a seat next to Luhan. He happily sat his plate of salmon on the table and began slicing with a knife. Luhan would have made a snarky reply, but Tao looked too cute digging into his meal so he held back. Instead he got him a drink from the fridge.

“Hey Sehun, get up.” Luhan said, lightly kicking the cat on the floor. “The fish is ready.”

“Huh…”

“The fish is done cooking.” Chanyeol parroted. 

“Nyaaaaa….I have to get up? I’m too tired.” He pouted.

“You’re not even cute.” Baekhyun said, causing an outburst of laughs from around the room.

“Ugh…what’s going on in here?” Kris wiped his entire face with his large hands, trying to fully wake up. He’d dozed off for a bit while waiting for the soreness in his legs to pass.

“Suho’s in here preparing a buffet.” Xiumin said. The man spoke with an annoyed tone, yet he was currently fixing a plate for himself. (Hey, who wouldn't take advatage of a free meal?)

“They just ate, man.” The giant said. Sure he spoiled his pets as much as the next hybrid owner, but he tried not to overdo it with food. They’d get some extra treats here and there, but it was very infrequent for the most part.

Xiumin shrugged. “This probably won’t fill these kids anyway.” Kris sighed and just took a seat next to Lay and Kai.

“Ugh whatever. I’m too tired to argue.” He sank his head into his folded arms on the table top. Lay offered the man some bulgogi, which he wordlessly accepted.

Suho took his place beside Luhan. The deer alternated between feeding himself and the human from his very large fruit salad. Suho decided to eat the remaining samgyupsal that Kai and Xiumin hadn’t taken. It was an odd combination to rotate between forkfuls of meat and fruit, but he didn’t say anything about it. The act of trying to get a hybrid to stop sharing their food was a challenge in itself. 

Chanyeol decided to feed Sehun his fish, figuring there was no need to make the kitty move and aggravate him. Plus he looked rather comfortable on the beagle’s back and it was pretty darn cute. And honestly, Chanyeol rarely ever got feed Sehun or do anything skinshippy with the normally non-dog friendly kitty. So he was going to take full advantage of this open opportunity. He had to roll over onto his back to be able to feed Sehun easier, but he was sure the kitty was much more comfortable on the beagle's soft tummy anyway. Sehun would have protested, but he wasn't one to stop fish from coming to him, so he let the dog feed him...this time.

D.O. sat down next to Baekhyun. It was mainly because he wanted to rest his back against the smooth fridge rather than slouching in the stools of the dining table. The short man was rather irritated with the pain he was still experiencing in his back. But with Baekhyun feeding him small finger sandwiches, sesame chicken, and kimchi, his nerves started to ease. Usually the independent man didn't like being spoiled, even by his hyungs, but it was calming and made sitting through the pain from his back much easier. And of course he pup was oh so happy to feed D.O. when he was in a grumpy mood. Watching the way the short man's lips would just barely curve into a small smile while he tried to look intimmidating just made Baekhyun's heart flutter.

Xiumin figured he’d sit next to Chen, mainly because he also wanted to make himself a sandwich. He’d been on a diet for a while and thought he could treat himself to a bit more food tonight. It was a party after all. The blond man naturally began to scratch Chen’s neck under his collar, right where he liked it, eliciting quite a bit of happy panting and tail wagging from the boy. The tan beagle smiled, loving the attention he was getting from his hyung. He scooched closer the shorter man and rested his head on his shoulder. Xiumin smiled. When Chen got like that, he soon fell into his own world where nothing mattered other than being petted. So the blond man had to feed Chen the rest of his sandwhich, but he didn't mind it all too much.

 

After the super large, totally not a small snack, everyone helped Suho tidy up. The humans cleaned up the kitchen with the hybrids handled the theater room, right down to scrubbing down the couch and mopping the floor.

“Nyaaaaa…I’m tired.” Sehun yawned. He was currently curled up on the living room couch, which still needed to be moved back into its proper room.

“Yah, you didn’t even do any work.” Baekhyun grumbled.

“Yesth I did.” The kitten said, nuzzling his head into the couch cushion, knowing good and well that he'd done nothing to aid in the cleaning.

“Liar…” Tao pouted.

“Hey, are you guys done in there?” Kris called. 

“Yeah!” Chanyeol replied. He bounded into the kitchen, with the other hybrids right behind him. They were met with a spotless kitchen and four exhausted looking humans leaning face down over the countertop.

“We finished, ge.” Tao purred cutely.

“Ugh good…now let’s hit the hay.” 

“Huh?” Tao tilted his head, unfamiliar with the Korean version of the expression. 

“Sleep time.” Chen said, patting the kitten on the back. Tao nodded, a yawn making its way past his lips.

The group split up into Suho’s separate bathrooms where they washed up and put on their pajamas. The hybrids all had their cute animal onesies. Chanyeol’s was a giraffe, Baekhyun wore a flying squirrel, Chen a dinosaur, Tao a panda, Sehun had a cat, Lay wore a unicorn, Kai had a black panther and Luhan a reindeer. 

“Aigoo, why are you so boring Hun?” Kai asked.

“What do you mean?” the cat replied, his tone completely disinterested.

“You’re a cat. Why not get a different animal costume?”

“Hmph, why would I want to dress like anything else? Cats are perfect.” Sehun replied smugly. 

“Right…” Baekhyun said with a roll of his eyes.

“What about that hyung?” Sehun asked, pointing an accusing finger at Luhan. “He’s dressed like a deer.”

“I’m a reindeer. They’re different from regular deer.” Luhan huffed. 

“Different how?” Sehun hissed.

“They can fly.” Tao said cheerily.

“What?!”

“They fly with Santa every Christmas.” The kitten purred. This time Sehun rolled his eyes.

“What are you guys talking about?” D.O. asked, walking into the room with the other owners.

“Our pajamas~” Chanyeol happily barked. “Aren’t they cute?”

“Not as cute as me.” Xiumin said with a smirk, kissing his fingers and making a heart with them.

“Aigoo, that was actually pretty sexy, hyung.” Chanyeol chuckled, his cheeks reddening slightly.

“Wae? Was it really?” he asked, an adorably confused expression on his face.

“Yeah, but now you look cute.” Baekhyun said.

“What?”

“Hyung can only be cute if he's not trying.” Kai said. “He can’t do it intentionally.” 

“Yeah, it looks cheesy if he tries too hard.” Chen added.

“Unlike me.” Tao mewed, poking his cheeks with his fingers. Lay giggled.

“Why are you all picking on me?” Xiumin whined. He covered his face with his hands to hide his blush.

“Because you’re so cute when we do it.” Suho laughed, patting the man on the back.

"Yeah, naturally cute." Luhan added. And everyone laughed. Well, everyone except Xiumin.

“C’mon guys. Let’s get to bed.” Kris chuckled. The entire group followed the tall man up to Lay’s bedroom, some still chuckling along the way.

“Will we all fit in the bed?” Tao asked, head tilted.

“We’re using sleeping bags. Remember Taozi?” Kai said, grabbing his a blue bag from the corner. Suho had purchased a set of sleeping bags a while ago when his parents gave him a coupon for one of their stores as a birthday present and he decided that a set of a dozen sleeping bags was the most interesting option at the store. 

“Why do we have to sleep on the floor?” Sehun hissed. Suho shot him a glare that quickly silenced him.

“Because we have guests and not enough room on our beds. So we’re sleeping in Lay’s room since he has pillows all over his floor anyway.” 

“I hope my room is nice enough for you all~.” Lay said shyly, a blush across his face.

“Your room is great XingXing.” Baekhyun barked happily.

“Yeah, it’s the best.” Chen said as he snuggled into his bright pink sleeping bag.

“I think it’s cute.” Kai added, happily rolling around on a pile of unicorn plushies. 

Suho distributed the rest of the sleeping bags to the group. Unfortunately, the sleeping bags were in fact one size range, being limited to the size of the average male. Thus Kris, Chanyeol, and Tao had quite a bit of a challenge getting comfortable in the slightly small sleeping bags.

“Heh, sorry guys, but the pack only had one size.” Suho apologized.

“It’s fine hyung, we’re comfortable.” Chanyeol said, despite the fact that only half of his body was covered up. Tao was also quite content; being a cat he was used to curling his body up into a fluffy ball when he slept. He purred happily as he snuggled himself closer to Chanyeol, finding pleasure in the other’s warmth. Kris on the other hand looked much less pleased. The sleeping bag was only long enough to cover his extremely long legs making him essentially look like a merman. It was rather uncomfortable to say the least.

“Ugh…yeah….” Kris grumbled. He didn’t mean to sound upset, but he surely wasn’t anticipating sleeping like that all night. It also didn’t help that he was only wearing a tank top to sleep, meaning it would be quite breezy when he slept.

“Want me to grab some extra blankets, hyung?” Suho asked, trying not to outwardly chuckle at Kris’s dilemma. 

“No no, it’s fine Myeon. I’ll be fine.” Kris replied sheepishly. Deep down, he really hoped that Suho would insist on the blankets.

“Well, alright. If you’re really okay.” The man smiled. 

Damn.

“I’ll keep you warm, gege.” Tao purred. He wrapped his long arms around Kris’s upper body and nuzzled close to him. Kris blushed, but couldn’t stop the gummy smile from spreading across his face.

“Thanks Tao.”

“Alright, lights out.” Suho said, hitting the light switch and shrouding the room in darkness.

Sehun yawned and took his place near Lay’s cushion fort. He didn’t like being so closed to other people when he slept, so he decided to put some distance between himself and the others. Kai however didn’t seem to notice, as he rolled his way right next to Sehun in his sleeping bag. The pup smiled happily at the Ragdoll kitten who hissed back at him. He was not pleased about a dog sleeping in such close proximity to him.

“Sehun, be nice.” Suho reminded him. Sehun grumbled angrily to himself as he turned away from the toy poodle hybrid. Again, Kai seemed unaware of Sehun’s irritation (or just didn't care) and merely pulled the kitten back against his chest, slowly licking his rainbow fur. Sehun closed his eyes and tried to ignore the gross smell of dog saliva. Kai then started to nuzzle into the kitty’s cheek, which the younger boy was also not too happy about. But for some strange reason he couldn’t move away. The action almost felt…comforting.

'No! No way Sehun. You are not about to let this mutt, rub all over you all night.' Sehun thought. And yet, he still couldn’t bring himself to move away. He could hear Kai’s tail thumping happily in his sleeping bag. Soon the kitten found himself almost serenaded by the sound of Kai’s tail and was slowly drifting into sleepiness.

Lay was happy to see Sehun acting so accepting of Kai’s skinship. (Believe it or not, that was accepting for Sehun’s standards). He’d miss being able to sleep next to his kitty for one night, but figured that getting more comfortable with the dogs was more important. Luhan sensed the bunny’s mild sadness and pulled the fellow herbivore into his arms. Lay smiled, a dimple forming on one cheek, and returned Luhan’s hug. The deer slowly began stroking the blue bunny’s hair, an action that always put him to sleep quickly. Lay yawned. He snuggled closer to his gege and let his eyes fall closed. Luhan smiled endearingly at the younger boy as he too let himself fall asleep.

Xiumin too had a smile on his face upon seeing his deer so happy at being able to sleep next to his Chinese hybrid buddy. He lay down contently, pulling an orange unicorn plush close, and closed his eyes. Within 2 minutes, he felt the presence of another body pressed against his back. Confused, he turned around and his eyes met Baekhyun’s. The pup gave the blond man a quick lick on the nose, before panting happily. Xiumin’s eyes widened in shock and he buried his face in the unicorn toy to hide his blush. Baekhyun was just as openly affectionate as Luhan, but the fact of the matter was that Luhan wasn’t as overly cuddly with other humans; even Xiumin’s close friends. The beagles however didn’t care if they were with Kris or anyone else; they just loved being with people. Xiumin laughed softly, and patted the space next to him for Baekhyun to come close, even though they were already nearly nose to nose. Baekhyun’s tail immediately began to wag and he pulled himself close to his hyung, using the man’s chest as a pillow. Xiumin patted the boy’s hair softly and the two slowly drifted to sleep.

Chen chose to sleep next to Suho, mainly because the man was already in the area where Chen decided to lay down. Suho gently stoked Chen’s cheeks, an action that appeased his cat genes quite nicely, slowly soothing the boy to sleep. All of Kris’s friends were aware that Chen was part cat. They’d each found out one way or another, whether it was from Kris accidentally blowing the secret and then begging them not to mention it, or one of the hybrids picking up on it. All of them were very intrigued by the boy to say the least, each interested in how his mannerisms were reflected by his unique species. Suho was happy that he had Sehun and thus knew how to appeal to cats, meaning he was easily able to give Chen the kitty pampering that he so craved. The catdog snuggled closely to the older man, quiet hums coming from his mouth. He didn’t want to purr. He still wasn’t comfortable exhibiting many cat behaviors around Kris’s friends. But Suho’s petting was so comforting, he almost couldn’t help it. So the older man stopped, seemingly sensing what Chen was feeling. He didn’t want to accidentally force him into doing something he was uncomfortable with, so the two simply snuggled together in a cute little bundle before eventually entering their slumber.

D.O. isn’t sure how he found himself wrapped in Chanyeol’s arms. One second he was trying to get comfortable as he lay on top of a pile of plushies, then the next second he was being spooned by a giant beagle puppy. The silver dog clearly enjoyed snuggling with his shorter friends, but the feeling wasn’t mutual in the case of D.O. He knew that Chanyeol wouldn’t hurt him intentionally, but he always feared that the pup would get too caught up in a hug and accidentally crush him in his grip. Sometimes the beagle didn’t know his own strength. But it seemed that Chanyeol was well aware of the shorter man’s nervousness. He rolled onto his back with D.O. still in his grasp so that the smaller human was lying directly on top of him. Before D.O. could even react to the extreme intimacy of their position, his nose was licked by Chanyeol, and even in the dark he could tell that the older boy was smiling. D.O. was glad that the lights were off so that no one could see his blush. Slowly, he lay his heated face on top of Chanyeol’s chest and let himself fade off into sleep, which was pretty easy with Chanyeol calmly licking his hair.

The soft, soothing sound of Suho's airconditoner, a puppy's thumping tail, and some quiet purrs were the last sounds to be heard as Chanyeol nuzzled his head into D.O.'s hair and joined him in a peacful rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was fluffy enough for you all. I tried really hard to add as much a possible since there wasn't much 'plot' left for this chapter. Also, as a note, I don't know if there even is a Korean version of 'hit the hey', I just wanted something for Tao to be confused by.
> 
> Unfortunately, updates might start coming in a bit slower, almost to the point of a short hiatus. I've been really loaded with work recently and it's only about to grow with this college quarter coming to a close. I haven't even had time to think of many future chapters. But hopefully during the summer updates will start up regularly again.
> 
> Thanks for reading regularly up until now though. You guys are the best :)


	18. Puppy Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, finally. Summer break is here, so hopefully I can start updating regularly again. Hope you guys like this cute fluffy chapter :)

It was a peaceful Monday morning in the Wu household. Baekhyun hummed quietly as Chanyeol nuzzled into his cheek. He’d been laying on top of him for the past hour as the beagles had been relaxing together. The two had been alone since around 8 o’ clock that morning and would probably remain that way for the next few hours.

Kris had taken both Tao and Chen to the hybrid vet for a checkup. Initially, it was just going to be a kitty checkup for Tao, but Kris decided to bring the catdog along to make sure everything was going well with his cat health as well.

Thus the beagle duo of Baekhyun and Chanyeol were left to themselves. It was nice being able to spend time with each other. The longtime friends were rarely ever able to have moments with just the two of them ever since Chen and Tao had come to live with them. They loved their friends dearly, but it was nice to just enjoy each other’s presence. The television was on, but neither was really watching the drama that was playing. Baekhyun’s eyes were half lidded as he tried to get a bit more rest, while Chanyeol was too preoccupied with the intense nuzzle fest he was having with the older dog. Though Baekhyun wasn’t cuddling him back, Chanyeol didn’t mind. He was fine pouring out his love onto others without receiving anything in return. He knew that the feeling was mutal, even if the stamina wasn't.

Baekhyun greatly enjoyed spending time with his taller dongsaeng. However, he did get slightly annoyed by the silver beagle’s habit of cuddling him by laying directly on top of him. It wasn’t painful per say, but it did tend to leave him sore if it lasted for extended periods. It didn’t help that Chanyeol craved skinship like he did food, meaning it often was for extended periods.

Every member of the house learned quickly upon meeting him that Chanyeol could nuzzle into another being for non-stop for hours. And Baekhyun had been on the receiving end of head nuzzles from the taller beagle since Kris left the house. He was also integrating puppy kisses into the head rubbing session, and the brunet beagle was sure that his neck and everything above was coated in saliva.

But Baekhyun didn’t mind it all too much. Sure it was kind of annoying having a much bigger dog forcing affection on him all the time, but for Baekhyun, it was well worth it knowing the love that was behind the silver pup’s actions.

“Aren’t you tired yet, puppy?” Baekhyun cooed. Chanyeol shook his head quickly and went right back to nuzzling the older male.

“Aish, you’ve been doing this for over an hour.” The brunet yawned. It’s not that he wanted the boy to stop, but he did wonder if he was getting hungry considering that they hadn’t had breakfast yet. Chanyeol raised his head up, seemingly thinking over what Baekhyun had said. But before the shorter dog could say anything else, Chanyeol had gone right back to his obsessive displays of affection, this time nibbling on Baekhyun’s neck. The short man did everything in his power to try to keep calm and ignore the burning urges to start a full on make out session with Chanyeol. It was too early for that.

But Chanyeol was Chanyeol and he was too cute and needy to ignore. So Baekhyun gave in to the boy. 

45 minutes later and the dogs were exhausted. Well, Baekhyun was exhausted. Chanyeol could have gone on for longer, but he knew he couldn’t overexert the smaller hybrids. The silver beagle yawned as he snuggled up to the shorter beagle.

“Hyung?” Chanyeol whined timidly, nose pressed into the older boy’s cheek.

“Yeah…” Baekhyun panted.

“I’m hungry.” The mumbled into Baekhyun’s chest. Baekhyun chuckled.

“Of course you are, now.”

“I’ll make breakfast.” Chanyeol hummed. Baekhyun simply responded with a calm smile and Chanyeol finally removed his body from the elder and headed to the kitchen.

Baekhyun sighed happily to himself. He loved that Chanyeol was happy to take care of his hyungs and dongsaengs as much as he was taken care of. Baekhyun wouldn’t have minded one way or another if Chanyeol made breakfast or not. But it was only natural for Chanyeol to want to cook Baekhyun a meal after a nice, although tiring, make out secession. He was so thoughtful.

Baekhyun loved Chanyeol. He loved his selflessness and desire to please others. He was such a good dog. Kris was blessed to have him as a pet, and Baekhyun was blessed to have him as a friend.

The beagle wasn’t sure how long it had been, but Chanyeol seemed to return to the living room very quickly with a large plate of pancakes. 

“Aigoo, you’re done already?”

“It doesn’t really take that long.” Chanyeol chuckled. He sat down on the couch next to Baekhyun who pulled himself into a sitting position. But to his surprise, he found himself pulled into Chanyeol’s lap.

“Yah, what are you doing?” 

“I want to feed you, Baekkie-ah.” Chanyeol said. 

“Hey, I’m the hyung here.” Baekhyun pouted, looking quite unhyung-like. 

“But you’re cute.” Chanyeol cooed, rubbing his nose against Baekhyun’s. He forked up a few slices of the extra-large pancakes and them to Baekhyun’s lips. “Besides, you still looked tired.”

“I’m not.” He replied, gobbling down the pancakes. Instantly his tail began to wag at a very familiar and very delicious taste. 

“Is this…did you put my treats in here?” he asked, words muffled through his stuffed cheeks. Chanyeol inwardly squealed at the sight. 

“Yep. They taste good, right?”

“They’re amazing!” Baekhyun near howled. The brunet dog quickly swallowed and opened his mouth for more food. His tail was literally smacking against the couch. Chanyeol giggled and gave the shorter boy another large forkful of food.

“I knew you’d like them.” Chanyeol giggled. He held up another serving of food for Baekhyun. If there was ayone who always got 5 star resposes for their cooking, it was Chanyeol. He always went above and beyond and managed to thorughly impress anyone who tasted his food.

“Yah, you have to eat too, Yeollie.” Baekhyun said, pushing the fork to Chanyeol’s own mouth. But the taller beagle pushed his hand away.

“It’s okay hyung. I’m not all that hungry.” Chanyeol replied offering the food to his hyung once again. But Baekhyun took both the plate and the fork away from the younger.

“You were the one who said you were hungry first. Now open your mouth.” Baekhyun would not be taking ‘no’ for an answer. Chanyeol smiled. He obeyed his hyung and ate the pancakes. Instantly his tail began to wag, the delicious taste raining down on his taste buds. 

“Uwaa, it’s so good.” He moaned.

“And you were about to pass it up.” Baekhyun smirked, giving the taller puppy some more food. Chanyeol wiggled around in place, whining quietly. He wanted more food. Baekhyun laughed. Chanyeol was so cute when he begged. And when he did anything esle for that matter. 

“Alright, alright.” He said as he gave the boy another large portion of the pancakes. And within minutes, the beagles had devoured the entire plate.

“Mmm that was delicious.” Chanyeol sighed. He pulled Baekhyun down with him as he lay back on the couch. Baekhyun set the plate on the table before fully resting his body on top of Chanyeol’s.

“Why do you act so surprised? You are the best cook in this house.” 

“Am I really?” Chanyeol asked, eyes wide.

“Of course, you’re the only cook.” Baekhyun chuckled. Chanyeol playfully mouthed at Baekhyun’s face, gently chewing on the older dog’s cheek. 

“Aigoo, aigooo. C’mon it was just a joke. Cut it out.” Baekhyun squirmed around in his attempts to avoid Chanyeol’s teeth, but the giant dog wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, trapping him in his grasp. The silver beagle must have been feeling particularly playful, for he began licking Baekhyun’s face all over, seemingly trying to cover him in as much doggy slobber as possible. 

“Aaaaagggghhh….” Baekhyun squealed. He tried everything he could to wiggle out of Chanyeol’s hold, but alas the younger was too strong. Eventually the brunet gave up and just let himself be licked by the taller dog. And of course Chanyeol being Chanyeol went on for about 8 whole minutes before he seemed to be satisfied.

For a while, the duo sat in silence. Chanyeol grabbed a napkin and wiped Baekhyun’s face of his saliva. The older dog just lay peacefully and let Chanyeol clean him up. It was silent minus the sound of Baekhyun’s quiet moans. Once he was finished with his ministrations, Chaneyol cradled Baekhun into his arms so that the brunet’s head rested on his chest.

“I love you, hyung.” The young pup said eventually.

“Really? I couldn’t tell.” Baekhyun mumbled, his eyes closed. Chanyeol pouted at his friend’s joke. He wrapped his mouth around Baekhyun’s cheek, his tongue hovering over his hyung’s skin. It was almost a threat to start wildly licking him again. And Baekhyun quickly got the message.

“Agggggh, no! No more licking please!” Baekhyun whined, his small body shivering in Chanyeol’s hold. And the silver pup chuckled. “I don't think I can take any more licking.” It's not that Baekhyun had a problem with Chanyeol's loving kisses, but he was certain they'd delve into another makeout session if they got too aroused again, and he was still burned out from the first one.

“But this is nice.” Chanyeol hummed.

“Yeah, we don’t get to spend much time with just the two of us.” Baekhyun agreed softly.

“It almost feels like it’s been forever since we were Kris’s only pets.” Chanyeol said, remembering the days when it was just him and Baekhyun at their owner’s house. “I love Chen and Tao too, but sometimes it’s nice to spend time with just you.” Chanyeol gently nuzzled his nose into Baekhyun’s cheek as he spoke. The older canine smiled and caressed Chanyeol’s cheek before placing a kiss on his forehead.

“We have been through a lot together.” Baekhyun said. “From being strays on the streets, to working in convenience stores, to finally becoming house dogs. It’s been quite a journey.”

“But isn’t it funny how things happen? We went from being friends working in stores to both being bought by the same guy.” 

“Well, you did practically beg Kris to take me in.” Baekhyun chuckled. Chanyeol smirked and licked Baekhyun across the face once again.

“And you would have done the same.” The silver beagle said proudly.

“You know I would have.” Baekhyun agreed. It was true. Since they’d first met, they made an agreement that whoever found an owner first would ask that person if they would be willing to take the other in. Chances are that they would have always ended up together. Even if they didn't live in the same house, they probably would have still kept in contact in some way. 

“It feels like we’ve been friends forever.” Chanyeol sighed.

“Yeah, that’s true.” Baekyun hummed. “Honestly, I can’t even remember a time before I knew you.” Chanyeol wagged his tail happily and licked his hyung’s face a few times. 

“How did we even meet again?” the boy asked, rubbing his face into Baekhyun’s chest.

“I think we met when my manager sent me to deliver something to your manager. I don’t think your manager was there so I gave the package to you.” Baekhyun explained.

“Are you sure? I thought we met when I went to your store to ask how much you charged for shoes.” 

“What? No, I’m sure I went to your store and met you there.” 

“Hm, I’m pretty sure that I went to your store and saw you first.” Chanyeol replied, certain that he was correct.

“Yah, we’ve known each other for so long, but we can’t even remember how we met.” Baekhyun whined playfully.

“Aigoo, we’re like an old married couple.” Chanyeol laughed.

“Bah, it doesn’t matter the details how we met anyway. All that matters that that we’re still together now.”

“And we will be forever.” Chanyeol added, a dreamy look on his face. 

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” Baekhyun replied, stroking Chanyeol under his chin.

“Actually, now that I think about it, I remember thinking that you didn’t like me all that much when we first met.” Chanyeol said. He looked up at Baekhyun and was met with a very wide eyed hybrid.

“What? Why would you think that?” The older dog was genuinely shocked. He would have never thought Chanyeol could think such a thing.

“I always tried to talk to you and you always just brushed me off.”

“Because my bosses hated when the hybrids talked to anyone. I did't want to get either of us in trouble.” Baekhyun said, defending his actions. “Plus you had to admit, you were pretty overly chatty and clingy for a stranger.”

“I wanted to be friends with you.”

“But we barely knew each other. And you are kind of...well gigantic. It was a little intimidating.” Baekhyun chuckled nervously, patting the boy’s head. “I have to say though, you sure were persistent.”

“I just felt something from you that drew me to you. I really wanted to get to know you."

“Why me though?”

“I don’t know if it’s just because you were the only other beagle I’d ever met, but I really just felt a strong connection to you as soon as I saw you. I felt that we needed to become friends.” Baekhyun was shocked to hear these things from Chanyeol. He’d never known that the other had felt this way about him. But of course, playful Baekhyun decided to use this opportunity to tease his little brother.

“Should you say those things about me? Won’t your boyfriend be mad?” Baekhyun joked. Chanyeol blushed. He buried his face in Baekhyun’s shirt.

“Aigoo…I love all of you guys equally.” Chanyeol literally had Baekhyun’s shirt in his mouth. If it weren’t for Baekhyun’s super strong hearing, he would have barely been able to make out the boy’s muffled speech.

“Hmmmmmmm, I don’t think so.” Baekhyun cooed. “I think you love Tao, Chen and I, and loooooooovvvvvvee, Kris.” The dog sang the word ‘love’.

“Hey, who are you to talk? Like you aren’t crushing on Chen and Tao.” Chanyeol pouted. This time it was Baekhyun’s turn to blush, but he quickly averted his eyes from the silver dog.

“Those kids? No way! They’re so annoying.” 

“Annoying? Is that why you’re always laying all over each other, feeding each other, cuddling and kissing all day, and…”

“Hey, that’s all normal. Just friendly hybrid stuff.”

“Oh really?” Chanyeol asked with a raised eyebrow.”

“Yeah, cuz that’s nothing compared to what you and Kris do at night.” Baekhyun replied, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously. Chanyeol buried his face in Baekhyun’s shirt again. His face was now completely red and burning up. Baekhyun could feel the heat radiating off of the silver beagle’s face.

“Why do you say it like that? You make it sound like something dirty.” Baekhyun couldn’t stop himself from bursting out laughing. He patted Chanyeol’s head. He knew that his dongsaeng and owner hadn’t done anything overly intimate, but he had to admit that they did have a lot of ‘romantic’ moments together, and of course the others couldn’t resist teasing them about it. Seeing how nervous and flushed they’d get was too precious.

“Yah, why are you so shy now?” Baekhyun giggled. Chanyeol whined childishly and nuzzled his pouting face into Baekhyun’s stomach.

“You’re such a meanie.” 

“Oh am I?” Baekhyun asked with a raised eyebrow? Chanyeol pulled his blushing face out of his hyung’s stomach, and before he could say anything, his face was attacked by Baekhyun’s large tongue. The older beagle rotated between licks and kisses, trying to cover as much of his buddy’s face as possible. 

Chanyeol wiggled around happily, always thrilled to receive love and affection from his friends. And Baekhyun knew good and well that Chanyeol could sit around and be licked by another hybrid for hours. So he continued with the kisses for a few minutes before stopping, giving him just enough loving to last for the next half hour. They were quiet for a while. Baekhyun yawned and closed his eyes.

“What time is it hyung?” Chanyeol asked after a few moments.

“Hm? Uh…” Baekhyun yawned once again before glancing up at the clock. “Noon.”

“Only noon?” Chanyeol asked, letting out a giant yawn of his own. 

“Yeah. It feels like we’ve been laying around for hours, doesn’t it?”

“Mmm Hmm.”

“Kris hyung and the others probably won’t be home for about 2 more hours.” Baekhyun sighed. He knew that Chanyeol was probably missing their housemates, and he felt the same. In a house of 5, being only a group of 2 could become lonesome after a while.

“Do you think they’re alright?” Chanyeol asked.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t they be?” 

“Well, Taozi always gets a little bit scared at the vet. And Chen Chen gets nervous when it comes to being around other humans.” Chanyeol replied. He was envisioning a shivering black kitten latched around Kris’s arm and a curly furred beagle whose face was buried in his owner’s chest to avoid eye contact with people.

“Hm, I guess you’re right.” Baekhyun said. Chanyeol tended to worry about these things more than Baekhyun. The older beagle wanted the other hybrids to learn to face their fears, while Chanyeol always worried about them and would have no problem coddling them for the rest of their lives. It wasn’t a surprise that Chanyeol was nervous about something as simple as a checkup. “But they’re with Kris so they should be fine.”

“I know, but…I still worry.” The silver dog sighed. Baekhyun smiled and patted Chanyeol’s head. He was so sweet. He was the second youngest, but acted like a big brother to all of them.

“It’s normal to be concerned. But I think they’ll be fine.” Baekhyun replied. Chanyeol nodded at his friend, but couldn’t stop the whine that came from his throat. No matter what he did, he couldn’t stop the concerned thoughts from popping into his head. Baekhyun smiled at the other and softly caressed his cheek. 

“Kris would never let anything happen to them.” The older dog whispered. The silver pup let out a large breath he didn’t notice he had been holding. 

“You’re right. I shouldn’t worry so much.” He said, a yawn following his words. Chanyeol nuzzled his head into Baekhyun’s chest, letting out another large yawn. Baekhyun chuckled at the boy’s half lidded eyes. It was clear that he was getting sleepy.

“Exactly, that’s my job. I’m the hyung around here.” The brunet joked, patting the younger pup’s head.

“Aigoo, I’m their hyung too.” The boy yawned, his voice heavy with sleep.

“Last time I checked Chen was older than you.” Baekhyun laughed.

“But…yawn, he’s so small, he’s like…yawn, a little brother.” 

“Yeah, plus he loves being babied. Spoiled little kitten.” Baekhyun grabbed a pillow from behind Chanyeol’s back and moved it under his own head. If Chanyeol was going to use him as a pillow, he wanted to at least be comfortable while it was going on.

“And he’s so cute…” Chanyeol’s voice became softer and softer.

“Yeah, they’re both pretty adorable.” Baekhyun said with a blush. There was silence for a moment and Baekhyun figured Chanyeol had fallen asleep. He smiled and brushed his fingers through the younger’s hair. But just as he was about to close his eyes and drift into sleep himself, he heard a small whisper. 

“Just like you.”

Baekhyun heard what Chanyeol had said, but didn’t reply. He always said that he was cute, but being called cute by Chanyeol always left a special fuzzy feeling inside of him. He loved Chanyeol so much. So kind, caring, and giving. Though they didn’t always have as much time alone as they used to, Baekyun could at least be glad that there would never be a day when he wouldn’t see the beautiful puppy’s face. And that they’d be together forever. The brunet beagle pulled the boy to his chest and gave him a sweet puppy kiss on the nose.

“Sleep well, Yeollie.” 

“Love you, hyung.”

“Love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the wait was so long. I ended up much busier than I expected in the last few weeks of my quarter. But I hope I'll be able to start with our regular does of updates soon.
> 
> Also, finally a chapter dedicated to Baekyeol. Like seriously, what's taken me so long XD. Hope you all enjoyed :3


	19. Pets at the Vet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crappy title I know, but I just can't resist a rhyme. This chapter takes place at the same time as the previous chapter.

“We’ll be back in a few hours.” Baekhyun mumbled something incoherently and barely nodded his head as he registered his owner’s words.

“He can’t even hear you. Beef sleeps like a rock.” Tao whined, a large pout on his face.

“Just let him rest.” Kris smiled. Honestly, he didn’t want to wake Chanyeol and Baekhyun when he planned on leaving out for the vet with Chen and Tao. They had to leave super early for their appointment, scheduled intentionally by Kris to avoid as many other humans as possible. Chanyeol and Baekhyun had known for weeks about the appointment and how early the others had to leave, and had in fact reminded them about it right before bed. Which is mainly why Kris didn’t see any point in waking them up.

But of course Chanyeol would never let Kris leave the house without kissing him goodbye and wishing him and the others a safe trip. He actually woke up a bit before Kris to be sure that he wouldn’t miss them leaving. Kris insisted that Chanyeol remain in the bed and not follow them out to the car though. The pup deserved that much.

“I’ll make sure Baekhyun calls you later Taozi.” Chanyeol said, stroking the kitten’s hand. But Tao pulled his hand out of Chanyeol’s.

“Don’t bother. I don’t want to talk to him.” Tao whined again. 

“Tao, don’t be like that.” Kris said, gently but still with a serious tone. 

“It’s fine hyung.” Chanyeol said with a smile. He wasn’t offended by Tao’s actions. He understood how the boy was feeling. The poor kitty was just upset that his favorite hyung didn’t wake up to tell him goodbye before his big, scary vet trip. Chen patted the kitten’s back. He and the others knew that he didn’t mean any harm.

“We’ll let him sleep now, but then get out revenge once we get back.” Chen said with a wink. Tao nodded. He was still upset, but tried not to show it.

“We have to get going now.” Kris whispered. He leaned down and placed a kiss on Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s foreheads. Chanyeol blushed as his tail thumped wildly under the sheets. A small smile spread formed on Baekhyun’s lips. Tao stuck his bottom lip out and pointed at his forehead, wanting a kiss as well.

“Yah, why are you begging for a kiss? We’re all going to be together.” Chen asked, rolling his eyes. Tao kept pouting until Kris chuckled and placed a kiss on his forehead as well.

“So spoiled.” The catdog mewed. 

“Alright, let’s go.” Kris whispered again. The kitties waved goodbye to Chanyeol as they slowly exited the room.

 

During the car ride, Kris picked up some breakfast sandwiches for Chen and Tao to eat so they wouldn’t be hungry at the vet. 

“You guys remember what’s going to happen, right?” Kris asked. The hybrids visited the veterinarian semi-frequently. They were pretty healthy so Kris didn’t feel the need to schedule so many checkups if they weren’t truly sick. Thus he didn’t take them as much as the average hybrid owner would. Still, their vet insisted that they at least have a checkup at least two times a year. So, reluctant as he was, Kris tried to make sure the boys were up to date on all of their shots and other health needs.

However, that fact that they didn’t go to the vet as frequently meant that his pets weren’t all too comfortable with the situation. He always got nervous about them being too fearful of the procedures, from not having experienced them enough, and possibly needing to be sedated. 

“We’re not getting shot are we?” Tao asked, his mouth full of food. Chen burst out laughing at his cute error. Tao on the other hand tilted his head in confusion, unsure of what the beagle was laughing at.

“Well…I don’t know if you’ll need a shot, Tao.” Kris said, trying his hardest not to laugh out loud. “At least not yet.”

“I don’t want to get shot. I hate getting shot.” Tao whined sadly. Chen only laughed harder, causing him to nearly choke on his food.

“Chen, quiet down there.” Kris chuckled. He could see his puppy through the rear view mirror lying face down on the back seat in an attempt to muffle his extremely loud laughter. It didn’t work all too much. 

“What are you laughing at, hyung?” Tao meowed cutely. He still had no idea why the beagle had burst out into laughter to suddenly. But Chen couldn’t answer, he was simply laughing too hard. He’d only just managed to get his food down safely.

“Chen is just a goofball.” Kris replied. Tao stared at his hyung quietly and patted his back in the hopes that he’d calm down and avoid choking.

“How long are we going to be there?” Tao asked, taking another bite of his sandwich. 

“Well, I’m hoping it won’t take too long considering how early we’re going. There shouldn’t be that many people there, but I’m not sure. We’ll just have to see when we get there Taozi.

The Li Hua Mao nodded, but deep inside he was nervous. He was always fearful when going to the vet. The people always gave him a hard time because of his accent and usually spoke to Kris the entire time as if the kitten wasn’t even there. It made Tao feel so insignificant, like he was a lesser being.

Chen, as he calmed down from his laugh fest, also soon began feel slightly anxious at it sank deeper and deeper into his mind what was about to happen. He hated the vet. Hated it. They always treated him like some kind of freak for being half cat and half dog. And they were never discreet in expressing their disgust towards him. He knew good and well that Kris’s presence was the only thing keeping him from being physically harassed as well. Suddenly the boy’s stomach started to churn. He started feeling nauseous and his began temperature began rising. 

“Kris, I don’t feel so well.” The pup whined.

“What’s wrong, Dae?” Kris asked, concern evident in his voice. Tao too looked at his friend in worry.

“I feel sick. I don’t want to go the vet today.” Chen moaned, and Kris didn’t miss the way his voice cracked. 

“Well if you’re feeling bad then we definitely need to get to the vet.” Kris said with a slight chuckle. But Chen only whined more in response. Kris sighed. He’d only wanted to lighten the mood. He knew that the beagle was afraid and was most likely making himself feel sick through worrying too much. Tao wrapped his arms around his smaller hyung, pulling him into a hug. He nuzzled his face into Chen’s, an attempt to calm his nerves. But the other male was incredibly tense, his body much stiffer than usual. He was also very warm and it worried Tao.

“I think he really is sick, gege.” Tao mewled, fear lacing his words as tears formed in his eyes. 

“Both of you, just calm down. Take some deep breaths.” Kris said, reaching a hand back in comfort. He could hear the kitties inhaling and exhaling. “Everything will be fine Chen.” Kris added, patting him gently on the leg. Tao licked the dog’s face in the same way a mother cat would console her kittens. He was relieved to feel Chen’s body relax and sink into his touch. He still smelled tense, but at least he was calming down.

Chen sniffled. He still felt sick to his stomach. Tears had already began to make their way down his cheeks. Tao moved to wipe them away with his sleeves.

“It’s going to be okay. Nothing bad is going to happen, and no one is going to hurt you.” Kris said, his voice even softer. His hand was still gently stoking Chen’s knee. The pup sniffled a few more times and let out a breath he didn’t even realize he’d been holding. The dog nodded at his owner’s words, but he was still afraid.

The rest of the ride was moderately quiet. By the time Kris had arrived at the vet’s office, Tao and Chen had fallen asleep in the back of the car. For a moment, Kris wasn’t sure whether to just let them sleep until it was time for their appointment or make them go inside. He hated making them uncomfortable, but he figured having them wait inside would at least get them used to the atmosphere once again. And thus he gently shook the boys awake.

“Chen Chen, Taozi, wake up.” Kris cooed quietly. The half puppy and kitten yawed simultaneously. Tao rubbed cutely at his eyes while Chen stretched against the seat.

“Where are we?” Chen whined, his voice a bit groggy from sleep.

“We’re at the vet’s office.” Kris whispered. “We need to go inside so I can check you guys in.” Chen shivered at the thought of going inside, but he didn’t want to plead with Kris. He hated being such a scaredy cat, especially in front of his dongseang. So he wrapped his arm around Tao’s shoulders and crawled out of the car.

As expected, no other patients were there yet. It was still really early, so Kris was hoping they’d get in and get out. While Kris was at the front desk checking them in, Tao and Chen found a place in the corner to sit. They felt safer in the small space, far away from the desk.

“Chen-ah?” Tao mewed. His head was resting on Chen’s shoulder and his eyes were nearly closed. He was clearly trying to go back to sleep.

“Yeah?” Chen’s voice quivered as he answered and he mentally scolded himself. He wanted to seem brave for Tao, but was already failing miserably.

“Are…are we going to get shot?” The kitten asked, screwing up his words once again. This time, Chen couldn’t laugh. He was too nervous about the possibility of the ordeal as well. He took the large kitten’s hand in his own and slowly rubbed his thumb on the back of his flesh.

“I don’t know if we have to get shots.” Chen said, correcting Tao. Tao nodded, both as a response and a confirmation that he understood his error.

“I hope we don’t. I don’t like it.” The black kitty’s voice was still at a whisper. He was obviously still afraid.

“Me neither, Tao.” Chen mumbled softly. 

I’m scared.” Tao whined. The tall cat had pressed his body so close to Chen’s that he was nearly on top of him. His face was practically buried into Chen’s cheek. The beagle kitty began calming licking Tao’s ebony ears. The action always calmed him, yet none of the hybrids ever found out why. They figured it was just one of his quirks. Luckily, he seemed to start relaxing at Chen’s ministrations.

At that moment Kris walked over and prepared to sit in the seat next to the seat beside Chen, put Tao put out his arms, wanting his gege to be near him in this time of need. Chen scooted over to the seat to the left of him, allowing Kris to sit in between both hybrids. Each latched onto one of Kris’s arms in an instant. 

“Everything alright guys?” Kris asked, though he knew how terrified they were. 

“Gege, are we getting shots?” Tao whined quietly. Chen felt the smallest of smiles tugging at his lips upon hearing Tao use the proper terminology. He was still scared, but that wouldn’t stop him from being proud of the kitten.

“I’m still not sure Tao.” Kris sighed, patting the boy on the head.

“What did the desk lady say?” Chen asked, snuggling closer to Kris’s side.

“I asked, but she didn’t know. She’s just the receptionist, not a doctor, so it’s not surprising that she didn’t know.”

“How long are we gonna be here?” Tao asked.

“Hopefully she’s about to give the information to the doctor and he’ll call you guys back in a few minutes.” The blond man replied. The hybrids remained silent, simply keeping their grip on their owner as if the physical contact would make their fears go away. Kris pulled the kitties close, placing a kiss on each of their foreheads. He rotated between caressing their faces and ears, whispering calming words of encouragement.

“Um excuse me, that’s not allowed here.” The three men looked over to the receptionist who almost looked like she was trying her hardest to avoid looking at the trio.

“Pardon?”

“Just because this is a vet’s office doesn’t mean you can make out with your animals in here, sir.” The woman said. “That’s disgusting and no one wants to see that.”

“First of all, I wasn’t making out with them. Second, we’re literally the only ones here.” Kris challenged. He knew the woman was just being rude and that there was no rule against kissing ones pets, but he knew it was enough to make Chen and Tao even more uncomfortable.

“Do you really think I want to see that crap? Besides, rules are rules, Mr Wu.” The woman said with a huff. Kris wanted to tell her off, but he knew it would only make his hybrids uneasy, so he let it go.

He let out a sigh and took to petting the boys on the head instead.

“Gege…I’m scared. I don’t like her.”

“Me neither…” Chen whined, cuddling up to Kris. He began nuzzling his head under Kris’s chin, but was startled by a sharp noise. Kris looked over to the direction of the noise.

“What now?!” He demanded, glaring at the woman again.

“I just said that stuff isn’t allowed, Mr Wu.” 

“I wasn’t kissing him. What are you talking about?”

“No weird, kinky, stinky stuff you hybrid people do with those things. If you can’t take a break from that for an hour, you best start calling for home visits.” The woman stated. She left her chair to go to the back after she finished speaking, leaving two shaking hybrids and one furious owner.

“Who the hell does that chick think she is?” Kris muttered. He noticed that Chen had pulled away from him and the dog had fear painted on his face. Kris tried to pull the smaller boy back towards him, but Chen pulled back.

“Hyung, no. We can’t. That lady will…”

“I don’t give a crap about her. She doesn’t make the rules here.” His owner replied. Kris decided not to force Chen to stay close to him if he didn’t want to, but he did wrap his arm around the pup’s waist. It made Kris more comfortable as his owner to have him in his grip.

“But she’s scary ge.” Tao whined. “She might kick us out.”

“She can’t do that. We’re patients and have every right to be here regardless of her opinion on hybrids.” Kris replied placing a kiss on Tao’s forehead. Normally the cat boy would be blushing or giggling like a little girl, but this time he couldn’t help but worry about the nasty receptionist yelling at them again.

“Um, excuse me. Mr Wu?” The woman had returned to her desk with some papers in hand.

“Yes ma’am?” Kris asked, sending a hard glare at the woman.

“You still need to fill out some paperwork for those things.” she said simply. The hybrids flinched against their owner.

“Excuse me?” Kris asked, blood pressure already rising.

“Your…um, pets…can’t be looked at until this paper work is done. Just send one of them over here to get them” She held out the papers between her thumb and index finger, as if they had already been contaminated by the hybrids. Kris was fuming on the inside. Not only did that woman constantly refer to his beloved hybrids as ‘things’ she acted as if they weren’t even part human with the ability to understand her. And no doubt she wanted them to go to her in an attempt to harm them. Chen and Tao shivered at the mere thought of going over to the woman, but Kris got up instead. He roughly took the papers from the woman’s hand, making sure he had a nasty look on his face. 

“Thanks...” He said with most vicious voice he could muster. He glanced at her nametag for a second to put a name to her face. “…Sica?”

“It’s a nickname.” She replied, barely looking up at the blond man. Kris slowly made his way back to his chair, partly wishing he could have socked the woman in the face.

“Just fill these out guys.” Kris said, shoving the papers at the cats. His voice was rougher than he intended for it to be. He was mad at the woman and it was already being transferred into his interactions with his pets.

“Kris ge…” Tao whined, tears already forming in his eyes.

“It’ll be fine, Tao.” Kris said, his arms folded tightly. The black kitten sniffled and stared down blankly at his paper.

Chen’s hand twitched as he filled out each section on the paper. He was getting more and more nervous. Why couldn’t they ever go out and not suffer from rude comments from humans? The receptionist had already berated them and possibly wanted to hurt them as well. He could only imagine how unpleasant the doctor could make their time there. 

“Hurry up!” The woman yelled after about 2 minutes. Chen flinched at her voice, dropping his pen on the floor.

“Don’t yell at them!” Kris yelled back, pulling Chen closer to his body.

“I have other things to do, Mr. Wu. You should have taught those things to write before you came here if you weren’t going to do it yourself.” The woman said harshly.

“We’re the only ones here. What else do have to do?”

“That information is classified, Mr. Wu. My job entails more than just waiting for the patients to fill out a simple form.”

“Your job is to make sure all of the patients’ are signed in and see their doctor. So do that.”

The two humans continued to go back and forth, with Sica throwing around several anti-hybrid slurs and Kris combating with profanities his pets rarely ever heard him say. It only made Chen and Tao even more nervous. It took about 5 minutes for Chen to actually finish filling out the simple paper.

“I…I’m done hyung.” Chen whispered, tugging on Kris’s sleeve. Kris took it without a word to his beagle.

“Took that freak long enough.” The girl huffed. Kris was nearing his limit on how much he could take from this woman. If she were a man he would have probably punched her long ago.

“If you open your mouth one more time, you’ll get more than these papers when I get over there.” Kris said, his voice full of anger.

“It’s a free country, Mr. Wu.” The receptionist said with a smirk.

“Tao, are you done yet?” Kris asked, voice softer than it had been in a while.

“I…I…” Tao stared blankly at his paper. Kris took it from the boy’s hands only to see that Tao hadn’t filled a single thing out. He hadn’t even written his name. Kris looked up at Tao to find tears streaming down the kitten’s face.

“What’s the holdup?” Sica yelled again, obviously irritated.

“Hold on.” The blond male huffed. “Tao what’s wrong?” he asked, turning his attention to his weeping kitten.

“I…I can’t read it.” Tao sobbed. Kris was confused for about five seconds before he realized what was going on and wanted to smack himself in the face. No wonder the boy had been so nervous when he first gave him the sheet. He’d totally forgotten that Tao’s reading comprehension of the Korean language wasn’t nearly as strong as his speaking abilities. And honestly, it was sort of Kris’s fault. He’d just kind of slacked off on teaching Tao how to read Hangul as he tended to handle any matters that would have required Tao to read or write. Now he was seriously regretting it. 

Chen immediately took the sheet from his owner and began filling it out as quickly as possible. He mentally scolded himself for forgetting that Tao rarely ever practiced reading or writing Hangul and not handling it from the start. If he wasn’t so focused on his fear of dealing with that woman, he would have filled Tao’s out forever ago. 

“What now? The tall one can’t read?” Sica asked. “Is he stupid or something? Because I don’t have time to deal with idiot cats who can’t even…”

“He’s Chinese, leave him alone!” Chen barked. He was shocked to hear those words leaving his mouth. He wasn’t sure where all of the anger that was currently bubbled in his chest had come from all of a sudden. But that woman harassing Tao because of an issue such as this was too much to handle.

“And you never bothered to teach him to read Hangul? Or is he too stupid to learn? Are Chinese hybrids dumber than Korean ones?” The woman directed her words to Kris. She refused to acknowledge the hybrids’ existence even when they spoke to her.

“Stop making fun of him!” Chen snarled. Now he was furious and feeling incredibly guilty. Tao didn’t deserve this kind of treatment. Chen and the other beagles were to blame for not having Tao study Korean writing. 

“Where the hell is the manager? I’m through putting up with you.” Kris had already stood up and made his way to the counter where Sica, despite her boldness up until this point, was shying away.

“You get back! I swear I’ll call security if you do something!” 

Tears were pouring from Tao’s eyes. He was terrified every time Kris got into an altercation over them. He always worried about his precious owner getting hurt. Chen scooted over and wrapped his arms around Tao, licking his tears away. At this point he didn’t give a crap about what the woman was thinking.

“Excuse me?” Both Kris and the receptionist looked up to find a man in a white coat looking up at them.

“Doctor! This patient was trying to attack me!” Sica yelled, quite over-dramatically if you asked Kris.

“Oh please. You’re not worth my strength. I was looking for the number for security.” The blond man replied with a roll of his eyes.

“Ehem.” The doctor coughed to get the attention of the squabbling individuals. “Why don’t you just let me do this check-up and you can be on your way, Mr. Wu.” The older man replied. Clearly he wasn’t interested in the spat and just wanted to prevent an altercation. 

Nevertheless, Kris nodded and gestured for Chen and Tao to follow him. Tao was reluctant, sitting firmly in the chair, no desire to move. But Chen gently pulled him up, rubbing soothing circles on his back.

“C’mon Taozi. It’ll be okay.” The older cat said. Tao found comfort in his hyung’s eyes and slowly stood up and walked with him to their master. He felt pathetic, crying like this in front of the doctor. But the faster he went in, the faster they could leave.

Chen met the eyes of the receptionist who glared at Tao, knowing he was the weaker of the two. A low growl sounded in the beagle’s throat causing the woman to avert her eyes from the duo entirely. Chen was so focused on giving his warning to the girl, he missed the small smile that started tugging at Tao’s lips.

“Will they be getting vaccinated?” Kris asked. The question had been on all of their minds the entire time. Tao looked up at his owner and the doctor, interested in hearing the answer. Chen kept his eyes on Sica, the growl still present in his throat.

“No. Just a check-up and that’s all.” The doctor replied, seemingly very uninterested in Kris’s question. The trio headed to the back to get this experience over with.

Luckily the examination seemed to go by faster than the wait. Within no time, the trio was back in the car and on the way home. Kris decided to stop and get his boys some ice cream for all of the trouble they had to go through.

“I’m so sorry for that, guys.” Kris sighed after they’d pulled away from the doctor’s office.

“It’s not your fault, ge.” Tao sniffled, still upset. He’d cried throughout the entire check-up, causing the doctor to become quite irritated with the boy. The kitten was now curled up on Chen’s body in the back seat. He squished his body into a small, fluffy fur ball on Chen’s lap and snuggled as close to the puppy as possible.

“Yeah, that girl was mean!” Chen pouted. He rubbed his face onto Tao’s, trying to calm the boy with as much loving as possible.

“Yeah, but I lost my cool. I shouldn’t have let her get to me.” The man said. 

“She was such a jerk though. She shouldn’t have made fun of Taozi like that!” Chen hated to bring up what happened, but he was just so angry. It was straight up discrimination to insult Tao’s intelligence simply based on where he was born!

“You kind of surprised me back there, Chen. I’ve never seen that side of you.” Kris said.

“What do you mean?” Chen asked, genuinely confused about what his owner was referring to.

“I just mean…I don’t think I’ve ever heard you growl before. Let alone bark so…aggressively.”

“Did I…did I really do that?” Chen asked, looking down at Tao. He was so concerned about defending Tao, he hadn’t even been paying attention to what he’d been saying. Or how he’d been saying it.

“You did.” Kris said. Tao also nodded in agreement.

“I…I…”

“Don’t be upset about it. You were protecting Tao. I’m proud of you, Jongdae.” Kris extended a hand and patted Chen on the knee.

“Really?” he asked, still surprised to hear what had happened. Tao nodded shyly, his dark eyes blinking softly.

“You were really brave, pretty hyung.” Tao mewed, licking the dog on the nose. “Thank you.”

“I was brave?” Chen asked, a smile spreading across his face. Tao nodded and proceed to rub his head against Chen’s cheek. 

The pup smiled and returned Tao’s love by nuzzling back against him. Kris watched his pets in the rearview mirror with a delighted grin on his face. He was proud of his boys, who were able to maintain their composure and defend each other during their time of need. He had the best pets ever.

“Alright guys, what kind of ice cream do you want?” the man asked cheerfully. And the car will filled with screams of different ice cream flavors. Kris's gummy smile spread across his face. He just knew that the rest of the day was sure to be pleasnt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest. I didn't like this chapter all that much. It was supposed to be a Taochen with Chen being brave for the nervous Tao, but I feel like a focused way to hard on the stuff with Kris and Jessica and just adding for feuding for the sake of it :/ So sorry about that.
> 
> Also, I really hated that I did the clichéd evil Jessica thing, but it was the first thing that popped into my mind:/ Oh and, please don't think I hate Girls Generation just because I've made two members (well ex-member in Sica's case) antagonists. They're actually one of my favorite groups :3
> 
> Anyway, I've got plans for the next chapters which will hopefully turn our better. Thanks for reading.


	20. Bad Dog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the title, couldn't think of anything better :/

Xiumin and Luhan were snuggled up under a large fluffy blanket on the owner’s couch. It was one of the older man’s day’s off, thus the duo decided to spend it watching movies and dramas on the sofa all day. 

 

“Aye, Lulu. Do you want anything to eat?” Xiumin asked once it was nearing noon. The deer hybrid shook his head.

 

“I just want to lay with you here, all day.” The pink haired boy sighed, leaning in to rub his head against his owners. He sounded like he was still half asleep.

“You have to eat eventually.” Xiumin chuckled. He caressed the deer’s antlers as he spoke. 

“You’re enough for me.” Luhan said, pressing a kiss to Ximin’s plush lips. “At least for now.”

“Aish, you’ll be the one to say that you’re hungry later.”

“No, I won’t. I eat less than you normally.” Luhan retorted. He was about to add more when the sound of Xiumin’s phone ringing caught their attention. Xiumin rolled his eyes before grabbing the phone off of the coffee table in front of them.

“Anyo.”

“Hey, uh…Xiumin hyung?” came a familiar voice which sounded rather nervous.

“D.O.? What’s up?”

“Well um, is Luhan there?”

“Yeah he’s right under…I mean, um…yeah he’s right here.” Xiumin blushed, realizing how awkward his initial statement sounded. It wasn’t uncommon for him to use the deer as a pillow, but wording it over the phone could project some other connotations.

“May I speak to him? I’m having some…troubles.” The man sighed.

“What kind of troubles do you mean?”

“Well, the little pup decided that it would be really fun to dig up my flower bed this morning.” D.O. couldn’t mask the irritation in his voice. 

“Kai did that?” Xiumin’s shocked tone immediately raised the concern of his hybrid. Luhan sat up and tried to move his ear closer to the phone. “But why? He’s usually so well behaved.”

“I’m at a loss too.” The younger man said.

“What happened?” Luhan asked.

“Kai messed up D.O.’s flowers.”

“What!” Luhan didn’t even realize that he’d taken the phone from his owner as he screamed to the other man in shock. “D.O.! D.O.! What happened? Are the flowers okay?!” Luhan exclaimed. Xiumin couldn’t help but laugh. I was just like his flower loving deer to overreact to something like this.

“Hey Lu. Unfortunately the entire flower bed was destroyed. That why I called. I need some advice on how to fix…”

“I’m coming over right away!” Luhan said, leaping up from the couch. 

“What?” D.O. asked, unsure if he heard Luhan correctly.

“What?” Xiumin was also confused by his deer. Sure he felt bad about D.O.’s flowers getting ruined, but was it really this urgent for him to go D.O.’s house? And on his day off?

“I’ll be over in 10 minutes.” Luhan exclaimed before rushing out the door.

“Um, you don’t really need to do that Luhan.” D.O. tried to explain. “Luhan…Luhan?” There was a long pause for a moment.

“Welp, guess we’re coming over, Soo.” Xiumin said.

“It’s really not that big of an issue.” He replied, quite shocked that Luhan was already on the way over to his house.

“It is for Lulu.” Xiumin laughed. “Besides, at least we can help you fix everything.”

“I suppose…”

“See you in a few.”

 

Luhan didn’t lie. He made it to D.O.’s home in exactly 10 minutes. He knocked vigorously on the door as soon as he made it to the house, not even slightly concerned about disturbing any neighbors or random passerbys.

“Kyungoo? You in there?” Within seconds, D.O. opened the door.

“Hey Lu.” D.O. greeted happily.

“Where are they? What happened to the flowers?”

“I got everything set up outside.” The short man replied. “Where’s Xiu hyung?”

“Behind me somewhere. He should get here soon.” Luhan said, making his way to the back of the house. When he first saw the backyard through the screen door, he nearly screamed. “Oh my gosh! What did he do?!” 

Saying that Kai had made a mess would be an understatement. He quite literally destroyed everything. Dead flowers of several varieties were spread across the entire yard. There were holes and piles of dirt everywhere. And nearly every flower pot had been turned over and/or cracked. 

Luhan thought he would faint. He didn’t even want to step out of the house and into the yard.

“C’mon Luhan. Even I didn’t overreact that much.” D.O. said, munching on a croissant. 

“Where…where is he?” Luhan asked, anger plastered on his face. Well, D.O. assumed it was anger. Luhan’s delicate features prevented him from ever looking really ‘upset’ so to speak. If anything, he only ever looked mildly irritated at most.

“Kai? He’s sitting in the corner of the yard in time out.” D.O. replied simply. Honestly, he wasn’t even upset about the flowers anymore. He was more upset by why Kai would do such a thing. Luhan stepped outside of the house and looked to the corner of the fenced in yard. Indeed, Kai sat on all fours facing the fence.

“Jongin!” Luhan yelled. Kai’s fluffy ears perked up at the sound of his name being called and looked happily at his hyung.

“Lulu? Lu hyung you’re here!” Kai barked, quite happy at seeing one of his favorite hyungs. “What are you doing here? Wanna watch some dramas later?” Luhan paused for a moment before answering. He studied the dog in front of him. His hands, and most of his clothes for that matter, were covered with dirt. The crushed remains of flowers were stuck on his shoes and in his hair, a sight that made Luhan flinch. His eyes also seemed to be really red. Could he have been crying before? That would be odd, considering how bubbly and happy the pup looked now. He seemed to have forgotten he was in punishment.

“No I don’t. I am not happy right now, Jongin.” Luhan said angrily. Kai’s hears flopped down in response. Regardless of if the deer looked mad, Kai could sense the other hybrid's emotions. “Why did you…kill these poor defenseless flowers?”

“Well…I thought it would be fun. And it was!” The pup stated, wagging his tail rapidly.

“That’s not the kind of fun you should be having Kai! You killed all of these flowers and made Kyungsoo very upset.” Luhan scolded, hands firmly on his hips. Kai whined. He knew he’d done something wrong. He hated his owner being so upset with him, and he hated being yelled at. He hadn’t thought about D.O. being upset when he was digging up the yard. He was just focusing on how much fun he was having.

“Lu hyung…do you…do you think hyung will forgive me. I promise I’ll never do it again.”

“I can’t say what he’ll do, but what I do know is that you’re going to help clean this mess. And you’re going to help us replant the new flowers.” Luhan said firmly. Kai nodded.

Meawhile, back in the house...

“Do you think everything is okay?” D.O. asked. “Luhan seemed pretty miffed.”

“He’s probably just telling him what he did wrong.” The newly arrived Xiumin stated. He’d grabbed a pastry to munch on before getting to the gardening. Having to run all the way to D.O.'s house with no food in his system took a lot out of him.“Lulu may seem like he’s making a mountain out of a molehill, but he just wants to make sure Kai doesn’t do anything like this again.”

D.O. let out a large sigh. “I just wish I knew why he did it in the first place.” He was still confused by why Kai would do something so…bad. He was normally such a well behaved boy.

“He’s a puppy, Soo. I know he’s usually calmer than most pups his age, but he still has those puppy urges to have fun.”

“Yeah but…he’s never…”

“I know you’re upset. But trust me, Kai would never ever do anything to intentionally hurt you.” Xiumin patted his friend’s back as he spoke. He could only imagine how it felt for D.O. to have his pet intentionally mess something of his up. He quite possibly felt betrayed. The older male only hoped he wouldn’t take it too personal and focus more on keeping Kai from doing something like that again.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“What did you say to him when you first saw it?” Xiumin asked, rubbing circles on D.O.’s back.

“I…I was so mad…er surprised, that I just yelled at him and told him to get in the corner. I…” D.O. paused, seemingly quite ashamed at what he was about to say.

“You?” Xiumin prodded.

“I told him…that he was a bad dog.” The man said, tears falling from his eyes.

“Oh Soo…” Xiumin pulled D.O. close. He knew how sensitive Kai was, especially when it came to his owner. Those words probably had a huge effect on him.

“I didn’t really mean it. I just meant that what he did was bad.” the man sniffled.

“I know. And don’t get me wrong, I probably would have reacted the same way…but I think you need to talk to him.” Xiumin said, trying to look into D.O.’s eyes. The shorter red head averted his eyes however.

“Yeah…I will.”

 

The talk would have to come later, for the quartet’s first mission was to fix D.O.’s ruined yard. 

“Alright, I think we’re all on the same page, right?” Luhan asked, thrusting a large stick towards the three men in front of him.

“Lu, will you put that down?” Luhan’s eyes darted to his owner, who wore a very unimpressed expression on his face.

“I said, I think we’re all on the same page, right?” the deer asked again, pointing the stick at Xiumin. A chorus of ‘yes’ pleased the man. “Good.” He said with a smile.

“Luhan hyung, why are you holding that stick?” D.O. asked.

“Because I’m going to be the commander and chief here.” The deer said with a smirk. He'd grabbed one of D.O.'s favorite camo pattered baseball caps and placed it on his head before a few minutes prior. Xiumin wasn't sure of his deer's intentions with the hat, but now it was obvious. Let's just say that the deer really liked role play.

“Ooooh, does that make us soldiers?” Kai asked, wagging his tail.

“No, you’re not that experienced yet.”

“What experience to you ha…” 

“Anyway, I’ll just call you my Lufans.” Luhan said, cutting his owner off. “Now, is everyone ready to clean this mess?”

“Sure.” D.O. said, his tone extremely dull. He still didn’t care all too much about the mess. More than anything he wanted to get to the bottom of what caused this behavior in his pet. The situation was just so unbelievable for him. While deep in his thoughts, Luhan had already decided to split into the two groups of hybrids and humans in terms of cleaning.

“Uh, Soo?”

“Huh?” D.O. turned to see Xiumin already on the ground scooping up dirt. “Oh, sorry.” He said, dropping to his knees to clean up as well.

“Still thinking about…this, right?” Xiumin gestured around the yard to make his point.

“I just can’t understand why he’d do this.”

“He’s a puppy, Soo. It’s not surprising for them to have accidents from time to time.” Xiumin explained, picking up a pile of shredded flowers. “Remember when Kris had issues with Chen and Tao sneaking extra food when he left for work? Or when Sehun kept scratching up Suho’s expensive furniture? It’s all the same. They’re still pretty young in their minds.”

“I get that, it’s just…ugh…I don’t know.” D.O. sighed. “I almost feel like I can’t trust him anymore.”

“It’s normal to have doubts like that, but I’m sure Kai is feeling just as nervous about this as you are.” Xiumin said, trying to comfort the man.

“Maybe…” Xiumin could see that the man was still very upset, and attempted to change the subject to keep his mind off of the situation.

“And speaking of being surprised by their hybrid’s behavior, I’m surprised Luhan divided us like this.” Xiumin chuckled.

“Huh, why.” D.O. asked, clearly confused. The division sure made sense to him; the human pair and the hybrid pair. What was so strange about it?

“Well, normally he wants to stay by me every waking moment of the day.” Xiumin laughed. “He still gets pretty jealous from time to time.”

“Really? He seemed to be getting better at ‘sharing you’ with others from what I’ve seen.” D.O. said, also chuckling a bit.

“He’s certainly gotten better about it recently. I’m hoping it won’t be a big issue anymore.” D.O. nodded at Xiumin’s words. 

“All owners have things they have to work through with their hybrids, Soo. It’s natural.” The taller of the shorties said. He glanced over at their hybrids, who seemed to be just in deep a conversation as they were.

“Hyung look. Do you, do you think they’re talking about me?” Kai asked, dropping a huge pile of dirt in a trash bag.

“Maybe.” Luhan said, sadly petting a lonely deceased rose. “You did make D.O. very upset, you know.”

“I…I never planned for it to be as bad as it was. And I…I…didn’t think he’d be that mad.” Tears were forming in the puppy’s eyes as his voice cracked. Luhan stared at Kai for a moment before pulling the toy poodle into his arms. He was still upset about the flowers, but he couldn’t take seeing Kai so upset. The mature boy rarely ever cried. Plus he did have a soft spot for the pup.

“Kai, why did you dig up the flower bed anyway?” Luhan asked, stroking the boy’s hair. It was something he’d been curious about the answer to for a while.

“I don’t know. I just wanted to play and it seemed like fun. Digging I mean, not ripping up the flowers.”

“Well why didn’t you tell D.O. that you wanted to play? He could have taken you to a better spot that wouldn’t have cost him his garden?”

“I dunno. I guess I wasn’t really thinking about it. It all happened so fast.” The pup moped, sadly rubbing his head against Luhan’s. “Sniff, I’m sorry hyung.”

Luhan sighed. He just couldn’t say mad at Kai. 

“You should be apologizing to D.O., not me.” Luhan said, gently licking the toy poodle’s hair. 

“I know, hyung.” The dog sniffled again.

“But let’s get this cleaned up and plant the new flowers first. Okay?”

“Okay hyung…”

 

It took a lot of hard work and diligence, but nevertheless, 30 minutes later the entire yard was clean. Now all that needed to be done was planting the new seeds and D.O.’s precious garden would be good as new.

“Alright Lufans, you did well retrieving and disposing of the remains of our fallen men. I commend you all.” Luhan said, saluting the three men in front of him. Kai was the only one who returned the salute. Xiumin and D.O. simply rolled their eyes.

“What next, sir?” Kai barked.

“Now we must deploy new cadets.” Luhan stated, brandishing several packs of flower seeds.

“Oh for pete’s sake, let’s just plants the seeds already!” Xiumin snatched the seed packages from Luhan’s hand. “Soo and I will take the left half of the garden and you and Kai can handle the right.”

“Excuse me Minnie, but I am captain here.” Luhan said. “And I request that you…” The pink haired deer was cut off by his owner’s lips being pressed onto his own.

“Woah!” Kai exclaimed.

“Dude, what are you doing?” D.O. covered Kai’s eyes. He didn’t know why, it’s not like he’d never seen the duo kiss before. It was just a natural reaction to want to protect his baby's eyes. The duo quickly split apart leaving a short smirking blond and a blushing hybrid.

“I request that you shut up and get to work so we can…finish up at home.” Xiumin said with a wink.

“Geez, tmi.” D.O. groaned. Luhan however was blushing even harder. He yanked Kai over to him and dashed to the far right of the garden.”

“C’mon Jongie, we need to get this done, now!” And with that, Luhan ran faster than either human had ever seen him move before.

 

“Hey Lu hyung, what was Xiu hyung talking about back there?” Kai asked after the hybrids reached the other side.

“Uh…I’ll tell you when you’re older Kai. Now hurry, let’s plant these seeds!” The deer was dropping flower seeds in small holes and covering them up with dirt at a breakneck pace. He was going so fast that he was sweating.

“Are you two going to mate when you get home?” the puppy asked, innocently tilting his head. Luhan nearly fell over at the boy’s question.

“Jongin!” he exclaimed, placing one hand dramatically over his chest.

“Yeah?”

“Wah, why…why would you say that?” the deer began sweating even more. He could feel his face becoming warmer and redder.

“Well, every time Kyungsoo hyung says I have to wait until I’m older to hear something, it usually has to deal with mating. Have you and Xiumin mated?” the toy poodle spoke as if discussing the intimate act was the most normal thing in the world.

“What? We…no! Aaarrgg, Jongin that’s private!” Luhan whined.

“I just thought it was about mating since you were getting so red and hot and sweaty. Hey, are your pants…”

“Alright Kai, let’s just plant the flowers.” Luhan was beyond embarrassed. He tried to remove any thoughts of Xiumin and mating from his mind while he planted the flowers. 

“Do you think Yeollie and Kris have mated? I think they have.” 

“I really wouldn’t know.” 

“Or maybe Tao and Baekkie? They’re pretty close.”

“Kai, please stop.” Luhan tried to block out the pup’s questions. They were only making him…warmer.

“Chen could have mated with Baekkie or Yeollie too. Maybe Tao even. Chen is part cat you know.”

“Well yeah, but…”

“What about Hunnie and Lay? Do you think they mated? They really like each other you know, and I think they could have...”

“Alright Kai, no more questions or comments until we finish this.” Luhan said, shoving some seed packets at the puppy.

“Oh, okay.” At that, Kai finally decided to assist Luhan in planting the new flowers. Luhan was relieved that the pup finally quieted down and focused on the plants. Now he just need to clear his thoughts so he could move comfortably again. It shouldn’t take too long.

“How much of the seeds do we want to put in the hole?” Kai asked after a few moments. “I think I spilled too many in this one.”

“Ugggghhh…” Luhan sighed. Maybe it would take a bit longer.

 

“Aigooooo. Xiumin hyung, why did you have to say that?!” D.O. whined, smacking the older man’s back. Xiumin felt a bit bad, but he couldn’t help but laugh at D.O.’s out of character whining and pouting. It was adorable.

“Oh c’mon, Soo. Kai knows about that kind of stuff.”

“Hyyyyyuuuuunnnngggg….” 

“It’s fine…he’s probably forgotten about it by now.”

“No way. That pup is going to be bothering me about it for the rest of the evening.” D.O. was not anticipating the toy poodle’s questions that were sure to arise later on.

“Anyway, I think what you need to focus on fixing all of this.” Xiumin said, pointing to one of the now planted seeds.

“I just hope he doesn’t mess them up again.” D.O. sighed, still obviously upset. “Maybe I should put some orange peelings out here. Dogs don’t like those, right?

“Soo, that’s not necessary. I know Kai is like your baby and he’s never done anything like this before, but you need to be firm with him. Not harsh, just firm.”

“I know…”

“It’s hard to scold our hybrids. Heck, even when it’s other people’s pets it can be difficult.” Xiumin said with a chuckle. “I had the hardest time scolding Chen when he chewed up my favorite pillows. And when Tao jumped on my kitchen counter and broke a bunch of my dishes? It was almost impossible.”

“The younger they are, the harder it is.” D.O. said, watering his section of planted seeds.

“Even worse when they’re super cute like ours.” Xiumin half joked. “But you understand what I mean, right?” Xiumin asked, returning to his seriousness.

“Yeah, thanks.” D.O. said, a smile appearing on his face for the first time that day. 

“Good, now let’s finish this up.”

 

After about an hour, the yard was fully cleaned and replanted. D.O. was quite grateful for the assistance from his friends and offered them a meal as thanks. However…

“Nope, sorry D.O. but we’ve got to go!” Luhan said, yanking his owner towards the door.

“Why the hurry?” D.O. asked.

“We’ve uh, got to, um…do stuff and…”

“Sorry Soo, I need to go calm this deer down…” Xiumin said, rolling his eyes.

“Minseok!”

“I don’t mean like that!” He said, nervously waving his hands.

“I knew it! I knew they were going to mate, hyung!” Kai howled, wagging his tail.

“Jongin!” D.O. screamed.

“I told you that’s private! And that's not what we're about to do!” Luhan scolded angrily. The deer pulled Xiumin out the door and successfully dragged him back home. D.O. stood at the opened door, staring blankly into space, completely dumbfounded over what just occurred. After taking a minute to recover from the insanity, he finally closed the door.

“Um, hyung?” Kai said quietly.

“Y..yes?” D.O. asked. Oh please, don’t ask about mating. Don’t ask about mating.

“I’m sorry I ripped up your old flowers. I thought it would be fun to dig them up, but it wasn’t. Not after it made you mad.” The toy poodle’s eyes were fixated on the ground. His arms were behind his back and his voice very quiet. He was obviously nervous.

“Kai…” D.O. began. He wanted to make sure he said everything perfectly. “Look at me Kai.” D.O. asked. Though at first reluctant, Kai met his owner’s eyes.

“I forgive you. And I'm sorry for yelling at you.” The shorter male wrapped his arms around his puppy. D.O. waited for Kai to return the hug, but it never happened. He suddenly feared that the hybrid was still upset with him. Kai spoke just as D.O. was about to ask.

“Hyung?”

“Yes Kai?”

“Am I…am I still a bad dog?” D.O. flinched at the question. He’d nearly forgotten the harsh words he’d said to the pup earlier.

“Jongin, I’m so sorry.” D.O. said, tightening his hug. “You’re not a bad dog. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“I messed up, hyung. I deserve it.”

“No Jongin. Nothing you could ever do should warrant me saying that. I’m sorry.”

“Okay.” Kai’s voice was very calm, almost emotionless. D.O. wasn’t sure if he was actually feeling alright about the situation.

“Are you…mad at me?” he asked, nervousness evident in his voice.

“No hyung, I just…I don’t want to make you mad anymore.” Kai said. "And I promise I'll never do anything like that again."

“And I promise, Jongie, no matter what you do, I’ll never yell at you like that again.” D.O. said, placing a kiss on Kai’s head.

“Thank you hyung.” 

“You’re welcome.” The two hugged for a few moments longer before breaking there embrace. Kai wrapped an arm around his shorter hyung’s shoulders. 

“So, want some lunch?”

“Yeah yeah yeah!” Kai replied, his tail wagging a mile a minute. He licked D.O. all across his face and his owner laughed happily. Looks like everything would be all well and good between the two. “Oh yeah, hyung?”

“Hm?”

“Are Xiumin and Lu hyung mating? I think they are. And do you think Kris and Yeollie have mated? They seem like they've mated before.”

“Ugh….Kim Minseok I’m gonna kill you!” D.O. groaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all liked this one. I wanted a funny chapter with some Kaisoo, Xiuhan, and a bit of Lukai, so this is what I came up with. Hopefully it was funny at least :3
> 
> Well, I should let you all know that I'll be ending this story soon. Aside from it already being really long, I just haven't had as much motivation to work on chapters in a while. As a result of that, the quality has been dropping recently, and I'd rather not see it getting worse and make you guys suffer through crappy chapters. As such, there will be one more chapter (which is nearly done) and then the finale. I'm not sure yet if the finale will be one or two parts, but I do know how I'm gonna end it, so we'll see when its all typed up.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading :)


	21. The Gift of Friendship (and Food)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's the last chapter before the finale. Hopefully you all like it. Sorry about another crummy title :/

“Wait, what kind of meat does hyung like?” Sehun asked.

“Uh…bulgogi, chicken, pork…” Lay listed.

“Alright, I’m making salmon.” Sehun replied.

“But Hunnie…” 

“Okay, what else should go with it?” Lay pouted at Sehun ignoring him.

“Well maybe some kimchi or rice or a soup…”

“Pasta? I guess that’ll be fine.” Sehun said, scribbling some notes on a note pad.

“I didn’t say that…” Lay said, ears flopping on his head sadly.

“And we need a dessert of course.” The cat said, stoking his chin in thought.

“What about a carrot cake?” Lay suggested, clapping his hands happily.

“Cheesecake? Alright.” Sehun replied. Lay frowned. He wasn’t all too happy about his suggestions being ignored. Normally he wouldn't mind if from Sehun, but this occasion was different.

“You know, I don’t think you’re listening to me all that much, Hunnie.” Lay scolded, hands on his hips.

“I’m listening, I’m just not taking your suggestions.” Sehun shurgged.

“Well, that’s not very nice.”

“Hyung, this is supposed to be a special present for Suho hyung. It has to be perfect.” Sehun argued. He patted Lay on the head as he spoke eliciting a smile from the bunny. The kitten was beginning to initiate more and more skinship with his hyung and Lay loved it. It didn't chage the fact that he was still annoyed with Sehun.

The duo had planned on making a special dinner for their owner as thanks for taking such good care of them since they'd started living with him. They were going to make the three course meal entirely by themselves. The only issue was that they weren’t exactly seeing eye to eye in terms of preparations.

“But this is from both of us, so I should be able to contribute.”

“You are, you’re going to cook it.” Sehun said.

“Sehun.” Lay glared at the kitten, clearly unhappy. He adored Sehun, but he was never one to let the kitten out of a scolding if he felt he deserved it.

“Ugh, fine. You can make your rice instead of the pasta.” Sehun pouted, scratching away at his previous notes.

“Thank you, Hunnie.” Lay smiled.

“Okay okay, now let’s focus.” Sehun meowed, hoping on the bed next to Lay. “We need to make sure hyung is out of the house long enough tomorrow so we can get all of this ready.”

“That’s all covered. Xiumin and Lulu are taking him to a movie tomorrow.” Lay yawned, crawling under the blankets. They were sleeping in Sehun’s room that night. Sehun had recently become more lax with letting others in his room, and tonight he’d even agreed to let Lay sleep with him in his own bed.

“But that won’t take all day, will it?” Sehun asked, snuggling right next to Lay. The rabbit had to force himself not to wrap his arms around the kitten. He didn't want to risk aggrivating the boy.

“Nope, that’s why D.O. and Kai are gonna call him as soon as the movie ends and ask him to go over to their house and help them organize their closet.”

“Organize their closet? That’s what they came up with?” Sehun hissed. “That’s ridiculous!”

“Yeah, but Suho hyung is so nice, he’ll help anyone with anything.” Lay said proudly. Sehun groaned. He knew it was true, but it was so embarrassing to think about.

“Well, if that’s the case, everything should be ready to go.” The cat boy said with a tired sigh.

“Yep. I think everything will go perfectly to plan.”

 

Suffice to say, things did not go perfectly to plan.

Immediately after Suho left, Lay and Sehun dashed into the kitchen to begin preparing the meal. Only to realize they were missing a hefty amount of ingredients. There were no spices for the salmon, not enough flour and no eggs for the cake, nor any cream cheese; the main ingredient they needed.

“This is a nightmare! I thought we had all of this planned!” Sehun hissed. “What are we gonna do?” Out of nowhere the cat found himself smooshed against Lay’s chest.

“Calm down Sehunnie.” Lay said, rubbing circles on the Ragdoll’s back. “It’s going to be okay.” Sehun purred complacently for a second before pushing Lay away.

“No it isn’t. We need like…a bunch of ingredients that we don’t have. We’re already behind schedule since hyung left later than we expected, and now we have to go out, buy ingredients, and won’t be able to start cooking until we get back!” The cat screamed frantically. “There’s no way we’ll ever finish in time.” Once again, Sehun was pulled into Lay’s chest.

“I’ll go to the store to get the ingredients. Start the rice in the rice cooker and take the salmon out of the freezer. The faster we start thawing it, the less it’ll have to cook later.” Lay said, patting the back of Sehun’s head.

“That’ll still only the rice cooking and that was the easiest thing anyway.” Sehun grumbled.

“Just let me run to the store and get the ingredients. We’re only wasting time by just standing here and talking.” Lay said. Lay had a point. Thus as frantic as he was, Sehun agreed and let go of Lay.

“Okay just, hurry hyung. Please.” Lay noticed the look in Sehun’s eyes. It was a different look that he'd ever seen before. He almost seemed to be pleading with the older hybrid. He was certainly serious about the situation.

“I will.”

With that, Lay exited the house and ran to the store. Luckily there was a small mart nearby, which should hold the ingredients they needed. Sehun, unable to do anything else, went back into the kitchen to start up the rice cooker and grab the salmon. He took the fish out first to get the thawing process started immediately.

“The one day I need everything to so right and something get screwed up before I can even start anything.” Sehun hissed to himself. “Great day this is turning out to be.”

The Ragdoll sighed. Starting the rice and fish took no time at all. Now he was stuck waiting until Lay returned. He was literally a sitting duck.

Or was he?

“Wait a minute! Maybe one of hyung’s friends has some stuff!” Sehun exclaimed. How could he have not thought of it sooner? Surely out of Kris, Xiumin, and D.O., one of them was sure to have something. He decided calling Kris first was best since he had the most pets and was likely to have the most food. Luckily, the phone was answered quickly.

“Hello?” It was Chen who answered. Sehun would have normally whined at one of the dogs picking up, but he was too concerned with his more important issues to complain all that much. At least Chen was part cat.

“Um, Chen hyung, are you at home?” Sehun meowed quietly. He wasn’t sure why he was nervous. Was it because he had to ask a dog for help? Normally the cat would have considered such a thing beneath him, but now wasn't the time to catch an attitude. He had to just suck it up, for Suho and Lay's sake.

“Yeah, we’re all here. Well, Baekkie and Tao are with me. Kris and Yeollie are upstairs doing…”

“Doing…?” Sehun didn’t really want to know, but Chen’s pause was only making him more curious.

“Who knows, honestly.” He eventually said.

“There doing icky stuff.” Tao hissed.

“It’s not icky. It’s normal adult stuff.” Baekhyun laughed.

“No it’s icky, I’ve heard it.” Tao replied. Sehun heard the Li Hua Mao bopping the beagle on the head.

“I’ve seen it. It’s not even worth talking about.” Sehun could almost see Baekhyun shrugging nonchalantly.

“It is.” Tao whined.

“It’s not. Don’t even act like you haven’t done similar stuff.” Baekhyun retorted. And by the way the beagles began chuckling; Sehun could only imagine that Tao was blushing a bright red, trying to hide his face behind some pillows or something.

“Um, guys?” Sehun mewed eventually. He loved gossip as much as the next kitty, but he was wasting time. Suho’s party was most important right now.

“Huh, oh Sehun. Did you need something?” Chen asked.

“Um yeah…do you guys have any food you don’t need?”

“What?”

“Well it’s a long story, but Lay and I are planning a surprise party for Suho and we were planning on making him a special dinner but we’re missing a lot of ingredients. Lay hyung went out to buy some, but that’ll take a while and I need to get something started.” Sehun took a deep breath after his long monologue.

“Why didn’t you just call us first? Of course we’ll help.” Chen barked cheerily.

“Really?”

“Sure, what do you need?”

After telling Kris’s pets everything they needed, Chen, Baekhyun, and Tao agreed to bring over whatever they had that could be of assistance. Following the call, Sehun messaged Lay on his phone telling them that he needed only to pick up a couple of spices for the salmon. It took about 10 minutes for Kris’s crew to arrive, but once they did Sehun practically yanked them into the house.

“C’mon c’mon, times a wasting.” The kitten meowed.

“What do you need to do first?” Baekhyun asked.

“The cheesecake, since that needs time to chill.” Sehun answered. I’ve got the pans and stuff ready. Got the crackers?”

“Yep!” Chen barked, pulling out the box of graham crackers.

“What about the cream cheese? That’s the most important one.”

“We know. You only reminded us like twenty times.” Baekhyun chuckled. “Here it is.”

“Good. And the strawberries?” 

“Right here.” Tao mumbled his mouth full. 

“Are you eating them?!” Sehun hissed, hair standing up on his head.

“Just a few.” He mewed, despite half the box being empty.

“Aish, I knew that kid would start eating them. That’s why I brought extra.” Baekhyun said. He placed two extra strawberry containers on the kitchen counter.

“You had more! I could have eaten more of these then.” Tao giggled, popping another one in his mouth.

“Hey I want some!” Chen whined. He tried to take some from Tao’s box, but the taller kitten only held it high out of the beagle’s reach. Tao giggled even more at his hyung’s shortness.

“Ugh, there’s no time for this.” Sehun moaned. “I need to start mixing this cream cheese.” Without another word he began mixing the cheeses with the other ingredients as he’d read previously. The Ragdoll was so preoccupied with his work that he hadn’t noticed a presence standing behind him.

“Sehun?” Tao whispered quietly.

“Yah, you scared me. What do you want, I’m busy.” The boy groaned.

“Can we help?”

“What?”

“Yeah Hunnie, let us help.” Chen said, tail wagging.

“It’ll make things go faster.” Baekhyun added. Sehun thought it over for a moment. The dogs’ help would make things so faster, which is what he really needed, but there was a reason why he didn’t exactly want them their assistance. And no, it wasn't because two of them were dogs.

“I can do it myself. Lay will be back soon, anyway.” The cat mumbled.

“C’mon Hunnie, just let us help you.” Baekhyun said, giving the cat a backhug.

“We can crush the crackers and make the crust for you.” Chen added.

"And then we can put the strawberries on the cake." Tao said, giggling towards the end of the sentence. 

"Yah, you can't even say it without laughing. You just want to eat more!" Baekhyun scolded. The black kitten and brunet beagle began playfully punching each other. They were so distracted that they'd forgotten about Sehun; said kitten which was becoming quite irritated. 

"Aish, will you both sthop it!" That cat lisped evetually. All six eyes were on the rainbow haired boy after his small outburst. He took a deep breath and began speaking after a few seconds. “This is a present from Lay and me. I...I want us to be the only ones to do it.” He didn’t look up at the other hybrids, sure that they would be snickering or sneering at him for being so soft. 

“Really?” Chen asked.

“Y…yeah…”

“Wow, that’s really mature of you, Sehun.” Baekhyun said, patting the younger boy on the shoulder.

“And so sweet.” Tao cooed.

“Whatever.” Sehun sighed.

“Alright, guess we’ll be going then.” Baekhyun said. “Good luck.” Sehun nodded back at them, trying hard not to smile (had to try to keep up that tough-guy persona). Coinsidentally, as the beagles and Tao exited, Lay arrived.

“Guys, you’re still here?” The bunny asked with an adorably confused face.

“We’re leaving now, but all of the stuff you need is in there.” Baekhyun explained, patting Lay’s head.

“Yeah, see you later Lay!” Chen gave Lay a quick head nuzzle before bouncing outside.

“Bye bye gege.” Tao mewed. He would have hugged Lay, but he was too preoccupied with finishing his half eaten container of strawberries. Lay waved to his friends before shutting the door closed.

“I’m back, Sehun.” Lay grinned as he reunited with his kitty. He set the bag of spices down and eyed the foods that were sitting on the counter.

“Great. Now you can help me out with this cake.” Sehun replied.

“Did the guys bring all this?”

“Yeah, they had literally everything we needed for the cheesecake.”

“I’ll start preparing the salmon so we can have it ready to start cooking. Then I help you with the cake.” The rabbit said, getting into his cooking mode. He grabbed his blue apron and tied it around his body in an instant. Sehun nodded. The kitten liked to be in charge, but there was no doubt that Lay was the master chef in the house. It wasn’t until the bunny was about to unwrap the fish that something important popped in Sehun’s mind.

“But wait, hyung.” Sehun said suddenly.

“Yes?”

“You…you don’t like meat.”

“Well, no I don’t.”

“So you probably wouldn’t want to hold the fish, right?” Sehun asked timidly. Lay paused for a second. Honestly, he really didn’t like handling any kind of meat. Despite only being half rabbit, meat just looked and smelled so unappealing to him that he barely ever so much as touched it unless he was feeding a non-herbivore hybrid.

“Well, I’d rather not, but…I...I’m fine doing it.” The rabbit said. “It’s for Suho after all.”

“Yeah, but…salmon doesn’t really take that long to cook. We can wait to make that.” Sehun said quietly, eyes now moving closer to the floor. “I could do it so you wouldn’t have to touch it.” It took the rabbit a few seconds to truly understand what Sehun was saying. He was actually offering to do something for Lay that he knew the other felt uncomfortable with. Was this really his Sehun? The guy who normally never outwardly expressed concern about his hyungs having to do things they didn’t really like?

“Thanks Sehun. That’s very nice of you.” Lay smiled. The rabbit decided to start work crushing the graham crackers to prepare the crust.

“Did the other guys help you at all?” Lay asked.

“Nothing other than bringing this food over.”

“Why didn’t you let them help you with anything?” 

“Because I don’t need help. I can make a simple cake by myself.” Of course the cat wouldn’t tell his hyung the real reason why he didn’t want their friends’ assistance. 

“I hope Suho likes this.” Lay said, checking on the rice. 

“Why wouldn’t he. We’re making it, after all.” Sehun meowed in a rather snarky tone.

Lay sighed. “I don’t want him to like it just because we made it. I want him to like it because it’s really good.” Lay wasn’t normally one to worry about things like this, but he, like Sehun, also wanted this dinner for his hyung to be special.

“I’m sure he’ll love it, Lay. After all, you’re...a pretty good cook.” The cat wanted to say that his bunny was probably the best cook in the world, but he wasn’t in that good a mood. Maybe he’d tell him after dinner, when he was about to go to sleep (or already asleep) when he’d be more likely to miss it.

“I’m good, but I’m not great or anything. The crust is ready by the way.”

“Oh, good. That was fast.” Sehun immediately brought over the cream cheese mix and started layering it on top of the crust.

“Wow, you’re really good at this Sehun.” Lay commented. Sehun could already feel his face heating up. He wasn’t sure why the simple comment made him blush. Sure he liked getting praise from Lay (not that he’d ever admit to it), but this wasn’t even anything all that special. Lay was still the superior cook in every way.

“Uh well, I read up on the instructions a lot before we started so we wouldn’t have any issues.”

“That was good. You’re a smart kitty.” Lay added, caressing the kitten’s ears. Sehun had to do everything in his power not to start purring. But if Lay continued with his soothing petting, it was only a matter of time before it happened. Thus, Sehun decided to change the subject.

“C’mon, let’s stick this in the fridge and start the salmon.” The rainbow cat pulled away from the other slowly and put the cake in the refrigerator. 

“Sure thing.” Lay agreed, grabbing the spices he purchased. Sehun brought over the plate holding the salmon. 

“We should probably do more than one.” Lay said after noticing that Sehun had only taken out one slice of salmon.

“Huh? How come?” 

“In case we mess one of them up, we’ll have some extra ones.” Lay explained. “Better to have extra rather than having to start from scratch if one doesn’t go too well.”

“Oh. Yeah, that makes sense.” Sehun said. Thus the boys decided to prepare 4 slices of fish. Any leftovers would simply become Sehun’s dinner for later. Lay gave the instructions while his kitty executed everything. It was clear that the younger boy truly had studied the recipes beforehand, for he was cooking like a pro without much need for Lay’s guidance.

“This is looking good.” Lay hummed. “I think they just need 2 more minutes and they’ll be good.”

“Ugh, finally. Geez, cooking takes way too long.” Sehun sounded like he was exhausted. He acted as if he’d just run a marathon when in actuality he’d been standing in place for about 15 minutes.

“Hm, maybe. But the results are worth it.” Lay chuckled.

“I guess.” Sehun shrugged. “C’mon, let’s get the rice out so we can get ready to serve this stuff.”

“Okay, let me just cut slice of cake for him.” 

The boys eventually agreed on the best looking piece of salmon that would be served to Suho. They stored the rest in the fridge for Sehun to eat later. Lay decorated the cheesecake with the strawberries and frosting before cutting off a nice big slice for their owner. After getting everything ready and organized, the sound of a car pulling up sounded mere minutes later.

“He’s home! He’s back!” Sehun yelled. Lay immediately covered the boy’s mouth and brought a finger to his lips.

“Shhhh. Let’s plate everything.” The blue rabbit whispered. Sehun nodded. With some quick handiwork, the duo laid out a perfectly plated three course meal. Salmon beautifully resting on the bed of rice, with the small cheesecake on its own plate to the side.

“Looks nice.” Lay said, patting Sehun on the back. The quiet purring the vibrated in the kitty’s throat seemed to suggest that he agreed. Seconds later, the front door opened.

“Hey guys, I’m back.” Suho sang, cheerily. “I brought you guys some dinn…” The older man’s jaw dropped as soon as he saw his boys in the kitchen.

“SURPRISE!” The hybrids tackled their owner into a massive hug. He returned the hug, but it was clear that he was still in surprise mode.

“What’s all this?” He asked, eyes scanning the room. 

“A present for you, hyung.” Lay said, kissing the man’s cheek.

“I…I mean, how come? Why me?” Suho asked, flustered from both surprise and the kiss.

“Nya, he must not want it.” Sehun meowed. “Guess we’ll just have to eat it.” Suho rolled his eyes at the kitty. 

“We just wanted to thank you for being such a good owner.” Lay said, rubbing his thumb over Suho’s hand. 

“Really? You two made this entire meal as thanks to me?” Suho seemed genuinely shocked. Almost as if he felt he was unworthy of such treatment.

“Of course, you’re the best owner ever.” Lay cooed, pulling the man in for another hug. “Right Sehunnie?”

“He’s…alright.” Lay glared at the kitten. “Yah, fine. He’s a really great owner. Now are you gonna eat this fish or not?” Sehun didn’t mean to sound bratty, but he really did want to know how the food tasted. He especially wanted Lay to hear from their owner how good of a cook he was.

“Only if the best pets in the world eat it with me~.” Suho replied.

“But…but it’s your special gift hyung.” Lay said, his adorable confused expression making its appearance on his face once more.

“Yeah, you should eat all of it.” Sehun pouted.

“It wouldn’t be right of me to not share with you guys.” Suho said, taking a seat. “After all, you worked so hard on it.”

“That’s why only you should eat it. We made it for you to enjoy, not us.” Sehun said. Suho was pleasantly surprised at his youngest’s maturity. Normally the boy would dive into any offered food, no questions asked. Now he was insisting that Suho eat an entire meal by himself, because he and Lay worked hard on his gift.

“Alright alright. But you guys have to eat the treats I brought back for you.”

“Oooooh, what did you bring us?” Sehun asked. Lay placed a hand on Sehun’s shoulder.

“Wait! Try your food first, hyung.” Lay suggested, looking at Sehun, mainly to see if he agreed with the suggestion.

“Huh, oh yeah. Try our cake, hyung.”

“Cake before the main dish?” Suho asked, perplexed.

“We put the most work into it.” Lay explained. Suho nodded and took his hybrids’ suggestion. The second the cake hit his taste buds, the man felt like he entered an entirely new world. The cake tasted fabulous.

“Oh my gosh. This is amazing!” Suho said.

“Really?” Both hybrids asked in unison.

“Yes. It’s perfect.” Suho hummed, putting more cake into his mouth. “Wow. This is probably the best cheesecake I’ve ever had.”

“Thank you, hyung!” Lay squealed in glee.

“No, thank you. This is great.” Suho finished his entire slice in seconds. “You have to give me the recipe for this.” Lay blushed. He was always happy to hear when others liked his cooking, and right now he was on cloud 9. 

“Try and fish and rice now, hyung. Pleeeeeaaase~.” Sehun mewed.

“Sure, but get the goodies I brought home for you guys.”

“Oh yeah. What is it?” Lay asked. Sehun grabbed the two take out boxes Suho had set on the table previously. Upon opening them, the boys were delighted to see a lot of their favorite foods. Lay had a large and delicious looking Caser Salad, while Sehun had an entire plate full of different seafoods.

“This is great, Suho hyung!” Lay said, immediately diving into his food. “Thank you so much.”

“Yeah, this is delicious.” Sehun purred in agreement. “Not as good as our cooking though.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that.” Suho laughed, taking a bite out of the salmon and rice. “This is just perfect.”

“A perfect meal for out perfect owner~.” Lay hummed. Suho smiled. He couldn’t be any more grateful for having such wonderful, thoughtful pets.

“Thanks guys.” 

“No problem, hyung.” The boys said in unison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have mixed feelings about this one. There are some parts I really like and others I feel could be better. Like I said in the last chapter, my enthusiaum has been ruing dry. I hope it was decent though.


	22. Our Anniversary, With Many More to Come

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here it is. The grand finale. I hope you all enjoy it.

“C’mon guys, we have to go!” Kris called to the others. “I don’t want to be late!”

“Aish, we’re coming.” Chen yelled back as he grabbed his pink, totally not a purse, handbag and hung it on one shoulder. 

“Ironic how this hyung is the one rushing us.” Baekhyun laughed. “Esepcially, after the way he and Chanyeol spent like two hours mating in here. I can still smell it, too.” 

“Yeah, and then they were doing it again while they were showering.” Tao whined. “They were in there for like an hour because they had to take another shower.”

“Ah…young love.” Chen hummed, holding his hands to his chest.

“Speaking of which, where is Yeollie?” Baekhyun asked.

“Putting on extra perfume and cologne so the others won’t smell the Kris on him.” Chen giggled.

“Ha! Maybe the humans won’t notice, but there’s no way the other hybrids won’t.” Baekhyun laughed. Tao giggled as well.

“Guys! Are you done up there?” Kris called again.

“Yeah, we’re coming down now!” Chen replied. The trio ran down and were surprised to see Chanyeol already downstairs with their owner.

“What took you guys so long?” The tall blond asked.

“Who are you to ask that question?” Tao asked with a frown. Chen and Baekhyun burst out laughing while Chanyeol only blushed. Kris knew good and well what he was referring to, but tried to keep his composure. Otherwise they’d be teasing him forever. Instead, he assessed his pets’ clothing.

Chen was dressed in a simple blue hoodie and bright orange pants. Tao was wearing his glasses, as usual, along with one of his favorite purple blouses and some very tight jeans. Baekhyun had on a fuzzy blue sweater and white capris. And Chanyeol was adorned in a plain white shirt, a black jacket, and some black pants. Kris meanwhile was dressed in all white, complete with a fancy dress hat. 

“Why are you so dressed up?” Chen asked.

“It’s a party.” 

“It’s just our friends though.” Baekhyun added. “Xiumin even said we could dress as casual as we wanted.”

“Well I like to dress to impress.” Kris said, winking. And his pets burst out laughing.

“Aigoo, Kris hyungie you’re so cute.” Chanyeol cooed.

“Wae?” the tall man pouted.

“C’mon, let’s go already.” Chen barked. “I’m hungry.”

“Let’s just hope people don’t pick up on the smell of Kris and Yeollie’s mati-” A hand was placed over Baekhyun's mouth.

“Hey, hey, hey. We don’t need to talk about that.” Kris sputtered, sweating nervously.

"Hee hee, of course we don't." Baekhyun giggled.

 

“Hahahahahahaha, Kyungsoo don’t you think you’re overreacting.” Xiumin laughed.

“No! He kept asking me about mating for 6 hours after that!” D.O. whined.

“Soo, he knows about all of that stuff already.” Xiumin said with a smirk. “I mean, surely you two have…” he added with a raised eyebrow. It took about 5 seconds for D.O. to figure out what Xiumin was asking.

“Wait! Are suggesting that we’ve…that I’ve…?!” D.O. exclaimed. He could feel himself burning up.

“I’m just asking.” Xiumin chuckled. “You don’t have to say if you don’t want to.”

“I mean…not really. Not like real mating mating. We’ve just, ya know…” D.O. started nervously rubbing his arm.

“Kyungoo! Can you help me out in here?” Came Suho’s voice from the kitchen. He probably needed some cooking assistance.

“Uh sure. Coming right now, hyung.” D.O. gave Xiumin one last nervous look before dashing awkwardly into the kitchen.

The older man just chuckled to himself.

 

“So you mated?” 

“Kai, stop asking that!” Luhan whined. “I already told you, no.”

“We all know you have.” Sehun meowed nonchalantly. He was sprawled across Lay’s lap on the sofa while the pup and deer at at either side of them. 

“Sehun!” Lay scolded. “You know what Suho said. No talking about the hyungs' mating in front of them.”

“What!” Luhan was so done with his friends.

“Why don’t you just admit you’ve done it already?” Sehun asked. “I mean, you both smell like it all the time.”

“I knew that was the mating smell. It’s the same way Kris and his hybrids always smell.”

“Wait wait wait, all of them?” Luhan asked. Believe it or not, the elder deer, just like Sehun, was also quite the gossip. And he'd yet heard any tidbits on Kris and his hybrids mating

“Yeah, they all smell like that a lot.” Lay agreed. 

“Even Chen?” Luhan asked. It’s not that Luhan didn’t think any of them would want to mate with Chen. It’s the fact that the beagle kitty often suffered from such low self-esteem from being mixed breed and mixed species. Luhan always pictured him being too shy or uncomfortable to mate.

“Especially Chen.” Sehun hummed. “I heard he likes dirty talk.” Luhan’s jaw dropped, mainly at Sehun’s bluntness. 

“Not…not Taozi though. Right?” Not the maknae. Surely the little kitty hadn’t mated yet.

“Yep. Tao too.” Kai barked. “I think he mates with Baekhyun and Kris the most. He usually smells like them.”

“Really? I normally smell Chen on him.” Lay said, a confused expression on his face.

“Huh, I smell Chanyeol on him a lot.” Sehun added. “But he usually smells like Baekhyun the most.”

“Oh my gosh.” Luhan flopped on top of Lay’s shoulder. “I can’t believe it.”

“Why not? “ Sehun pondered, sounding just as uninterested as ever.

“He’s…he’s so young.” Luhan gasped dramatically.

“I’m younger than him and I’ve done it.” Sehun said.

“Me too.” Kai barked, tail wagging.

“You…what?! Both of you have?”

“Well, D.O. hyung and I have kind of 'done it'.” Kai said, making air quotes. “It’s kind of hard to explain, but basically…”

“No, please don’t. I don’t want to hear it.” Luhan said, covering Kai’s mouth.

“Is it weird that Lay, Suho and I do it all together?” Sehun asked. “I always thought that was weird.”

“Please stop talking.” Luhan muttered.

“I told you it’s fine.” Lay said, kissing Sehun’s forehead. “Lots of people mate in groups of 3.”

“Kris’s pack is a group of 5.” Kai added.

“Do they all do it together?” Luhan asked, shocked.

“Wouldn’t they?” Lay asked.

“I thought they separated into small groups.” Sehun said.

“Maybe they rotate like we do sometimes~.” Lay said, looking to the ceiling in deep though. 

“Rotate?” Luhan asked, perplexed. Honestly, he’d never really thought about a multi-person mating. It just never crossed his mind what with him only having Xiumin.

“Yeah. Usually Suho hyung lets us mate first, then he’ll mate with both of us separately.” Lay started.

“But sometimes we just do it all together.” Sehun finished. 

“Cool.” Kai chirped, tail still wagging fiercely. Luhan sure hoped he wasn’t getting aroused. He did not want the pup talking about mating, or worse, trying to do it, when they started eating.

The sound of the doorbell ringing prevented the conversation from going any further. Kai was the first to move, bouncing off the couch and to the door. As expected, the pup whined and pawed at the door rather than actually opening it.

“I’ll get it.” Xiumin chuckled. He opened the door to reveal Kris and all four of his hybrids.

“Hey Min.” Kris greeted, giving the shorter man a bro hug.

“Aye, what took you guys so long?” the elder asked, his words slightly muffled into Kris’s shirt.

“I can tell you if you really want.” Baekhyun said, unnecessarily loud. Tao giggled.

“Baek hush.” Kris playfully pushed Baekhyun unto a nearby chair.

“Hey guys!” Chen barked, head butting Kai. “You’re all already here.”

“We got here forever ago.” Sehun yawned.

“You’re the last ones to arrive.” Xiumin said. “C’mon, now that everyone’s here, let’s start eating.” The hybrids sure didn’t need to be told twice. All of them dashed out of the living room and into the kitchen in mere seconds. Kris and Xiumin could only laugh.

 

The large group of 12 sat at Xiumin’s large table, each owner sat next to his hybrid. On top of the table sat meats, breads, veggies, desserts, noodles, rice, seafoods, and probably anything else one could think of.

“Aw man, this all looks delicious.” Chanyeol said, his mouth already salivating.

“Yeah, D.O. All of this looks great.” Kris added.

“Thanks, but I had a lot of help too.” D.O. said with a blush, glancing at his helpers.

“Sehun, I never knew you could cook like this.” Xiumin commented.

“Well, uh…I guess Lay and Suho hyung helped. A bit.” The tsundere kitten mumbled with a blush. 

“With all of these compliments, we may as well see how it tastes.” Suho said cheerily. “Everyone dig in!”

And they did. The hybrids quite literally attacked the food. A chorus of chewing, slurping, snorting, and other strange sounds soon filled the room. But of course, it was all normal to the hybrid owners.

“Well, is it good?” D.O. asked.

“It’s really good, hyung.” Tao mewed.

“Yeah, it’s amazing.” Chanyeol added, giving a thumbs up. 

“The samgyupsal is superb.” Xiumin hummed.

“Sehun grilled that.” Lay said, patting the kitten on the back. “And all by himself, too.” The others didn’t miss the blush that formed on Sehun’s face.

“I love this pizza.” Baekhyun moaned. “It’s so cheesy and delicious.”

“It’s my special 5 cheese pizza.” Suho cooed. 

“Hey, I want some.” Tao mewed.

“Is there meat on it? If not, I want some too.” Luhan said.

“We made half with no meat just for you and Lay hyung.” D.O. said. Luhan smiled as he pulled off one of the meat-free slices. The large dozen of men continued their massive chow down, only slowling down once well over half of the food had been devored.

“This is the best party ever!” Kai barked. Suho chuckled as he ruffled the boy’s fur.

“Well it should be. We are celebrating something very special after all.” The older man said.

“Since you’ve brought it up, should we do the honors now?” Kris asked. The blond man was leaning on his elbow, head resting on one hand while the other guided his food to his mouth. Terrible table manners, but he looked damn good doing it.

“I thought we would wait until after we finished eating.” Xiumin said. “And with these guys, I don’t know if we should be giving honors while there’s food around.”

“Hey! We can pay attention while eating!” Baekhyun whined, taking a large chomp from a chicken leg.

“Yeah, we’ll listen.” Tao added in agreement. Ironically, the kitten was staring at the potato skewer in his hand, not even looking at man he was speaking to.

“You might hear it, but I don’t know if you’ll be listening.” Xiumin shrugged.

“We’ll pay attention. Really~.” Lay pleaded.

“It is best that we start now.” D.O. said. “After all, we have 12 people to get through.”

“Makes sense.” Suho said, smiling brightly.

“Alright then.” Kris sat up into a proper sitting position and brushed off his clothes. “Who’d like to go first?”

“Actually, I’d like to if nobody minds.” Suho said.

“Go for it.” Kris said.

“Yay Suho!” Chanyeol howled, clapping loudly.

“You go hyung!” Chen barked. Suho chuckled at the beagles and stood up next to his chair.

“Ahem. As we all know, we are gathered here today to celebrate a momentous day. The one year anniversary of all of us coming together as twelve as owners, hybrids, and friends.”

Cheers and claps sounded throughout the kitchen.

“And as we all know, the time leading up to this point has been rough. We’ve had out good days, our bad days, some horrible days, some awful days, some days we just didn’t want to get out of bed…”

“Alright hyung, get on with it.” D.O. said with a smirk. “We just said we had twelve people to get through.” This time the room was filled with chuckles.

“Anyway, one thing I think we can all agree on is that even though the road was rough, it was all worth it in the end.”

Once again, the man was applauded and cheered on.

“And tonight…”

“It’s not night time.” Tao mewed, head tilted in confusion. More chuckles.

“Ah, you’re right. Thank you Taozi.” Suho said, stifling a chucle himself. “And this afternoon, I’d like to give a toast to my hybrids, Zhang Yixing, or as I call him, my little Lay, and Oh Sehun~” Suho cooed. Lay giggled and hid his blush with his long ears, but Sehun only groaned in embarrassment.

“Aw man…” the kitten hissed.

“Lay, when I first met you, you were a sweet, shy little bunny. And now you’re…well you’re still pretty sweet and a bit shy.” Lay blushed again. “But you’re definitely the sweetest hybrid I’ve ever met. I’ve always wanted a rabbit since childhood, and I couldn’t be any more blessed than to have you be that rabbit You're kind, selfless and you live to help others. If you weren't the sweetheart you are, there's no way our little Sehun would be as nice and mellow as he has become to this day. Thank you, Yixing.” Suho said sincerely.

“Thank you, Suho hyung.” Lay mumbled. The bunny’s ears were still covering his face to the point that they were in his mouth, muffling his words.

“Yeah Lay, you’re an awesome friend.” Baekhyun added, giving a thumbs-up.

“You’re the best friend any hybrid or human could ask for.” Kai barked.

“You take care of anyone and everyone you meet, no matter what their age. Words can’t even commend you enough, honestly.” Luhan said, patting the bunny on the back.

“Oh…you guys are gonna make me cry.” Lay said. Suho leaned over and hugged the boy, quickly rubbing circles on his back.

"I...um...well..." Sehun stuttered, clearly nervous about what he was preparing to say. "You're a really great hyung to me and I'm glad you've always taken care of me and never gave up on me...even when I was mean to you and Suho hyung. So thank you." The cat said quickly. Lay was so moved by Sehun's words that he couldn't even speak. Instead, he opted to just pull the kitten into a big hug. He was able to perfectly hear the soft purring that sounded in Sehun's throat. The group gave them a minute to have thier moment before Suho continued.

“And Sehun…”

“Oh boy…” The cat groaned. Chuckles could be heard from the other hybrids.

“Sehun, when I first got you, you didn’t like me, Lay, or anyone for that matter. You avoided us like the plague and hissed over everything. You couldn’t stand sleeping in someone else’s room or others being in your room.”

“That sounds like him now.” Tao said suddenly. Chanyeol and Chen burst out laughing. Sehun stuck his tongue at the older cat. “I’m just kidding.” The ebony haired boy giggled.

“But now, you’re like a completely different cat. You let others feed you, groom you. You’re tolerant of the dogs. You sleep in Lay’s den willingly, and you’ve even started to let him sleep in your room. You’re much more mature and selfless, especially with the dinner surprise you and Lay made for me last week.” Suho smiled at the boy as he gave his speech. He truly was happy with all of Sehun’s progress. “I couldn’t be more proud of how much you’ve grown.”

“Aigooo…” Was all Sehun could reply with. No matter how much growth he went through, he still got embarrassed whenever he was praised.

“I remember when you used to scratch me whenever I tried to talk to you. Now I can cuddle with you and you don’t even hiss. Thank you Sehun.” Kai said, wagging his tail. Sehun pouted at his words.

“I have to say Sehun, you’ve really grown over the past couple of years. You’re becoming a respectable young man.” Xiumin added.

“Aish, don’t get corny, hyung.” Chen groaned.

“You’re the only kitty friend I had for a while. I was worried at first because I thought you didn’t like me. But now I know you were just shy because of how handsome I am.” Tao said, finishing off his statement with a laugh.

“Wae?” Sehun exclaimed, flabbergasted.

“This kid…” Baekhyun playfully smacked Tao in the head. Lay cleared his throat before turning to look Sehun in the eyes. The kitten could feel his cheeks heating up.

“Sehun all I can say is that you are and will always be my special kitty. I love you.” Lay said sincerely, placing a kiss on Sehun's lips.

“Ughh Yithing….” Sehun moaned.

“He lisped! He lisped!” Chanyeol howled in laughter.

“He’s blushing too.” Kris chuckled.

“Lisping and blushing? We all know what that means...” Luhan laughed. Soon the entire room with filled with laughter and clapping. Sehun just ignored both the laughter and the burning heat in his abdomen. He’d deal with that later.

“You guyth are tho mean.” He muttered.

“Alright alright.” Kris panted, still trying to cease his own laughter. “Who’s next?”

“Wait, Sehun and Lay should say something about Suho, right?” D.O. asked.

“It’s fine.” Suho said. “They pretty much handled that with the surprise dinner last week.” 

“Ah, that makes sense.” Kris replied.

“Besides, we all have something special planned for you all at the end.” Chanyeol said, tail wagging gleefully.

“What, all of you guys planned something for this?” Xiumin asked.

“Yep, and it’s a great surprise.” Baekhyun added.

“Hm, something about this seems suspicious. I almost don’t want to know what you guys could be planning.” Kris said, eying his beagles in particular. They always came up with crazy schemes that tended to cause more harm than good.

“Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” Suho shrugged. “So who’s next?”

“I think Xiumin hyung should go next.” Kai suggested.

“Me? How come?” the short man asked.

“Because he wants to hear about you and Luhan mati-” A hand covering Sehun’s mouth prevent the rest of the sentence from being spoken.

“Huh?” Xiumin questioned, eyeing the cat suspiciously.

“Huh, oh nothing. He didn’t say anything.” Chen replied with a grin.

“Hm. Ok.” The blond male replied, not believing the beagle for a second. “Well then, where to begin…?”

“With the mate-” This time it was Kai’s mouth who was covered by Kris. Xiumin seemed not to notice the noise, nor the giant eyes and beaming grins that were plastered on the face of everyone in the room.

“Well, when Luhan first became my hybrid, it was like…a dream come true. We hit it off right away, and it was like we’d known each other our whole lives.” Xiumin said. “Luhan was the like the best friend I always wanted.”

“Awwwwwwwww.” Everyone cooed. Xiumin could feel himself blushing, and could see his deer doing the same. He tried to cover his face with his wine glass, but it was no use.

“At first, Luhan was really, really clingy. He followed me anywhere I wnet. To the kitchen, to the bedroom, to the bathroom, everywhere. I was cute, but honestly it was pretty weird. In fact, I was so confused by it, that I called the pet store back to make sure I didn’t accidentally get a puppy hybrid.” 

This time the room was filled with laughs.

“That said, Luhan had some issues.”

“What issues?” Luhan whined with a pout.

“As most of you know, he was really overprotective of me. He hated seeing me interact with other hybrids and he’d always try to pull me away from another person I was talking to.” Xiumin continued. 

“You’ve got that right!” Baekhyun barked. “I remember one time me, Chen, Yeollie, and Tao were trying to talk to Xiu hyung, and Luhan was rotating Xiumin around like a ragdoll just trying to keep him from talking to us.”

“Oh yeah, I remember that! He never even let Xiumin hyung talk. He answered everything for him.” Tao added, giggling as well.

“And he was giving the shortest, most basic answers too.” Chanyeol howled in glee. “He was clearly trying to push us away.”

“Hey, that’s not true.” Luhan pouted. “You guys are over exaggerating.” Sure, Luhan knew what they were talking about, but he didn’t think it was as bad as they were claiming it to be. Right?

“He did that to us too once.” Kai said, placing his hand on D.O.’s shoulder. “I thought it was because he didn’t like me.”

“What? Oh come on Jongie.” Luhan whined. Okay, so Luhan knew he was a bit…watchful, over Xiumin. But what hybrid isn’t?

“Honestly, I thought the same. “I’d never known a hybrid to be that over protective.” D.O. added.

“Hehehe, yeah.” Xiumin chuckled. “But I said all that to say, that Luhan his clearly grown out of that behavior. He interacts with other humans and hybrids much more openly than he used to. And he’s totally fine with me hanging out with others as well.”

“I can agree with that. It sounds minor, but honestly, seeing Luhan willingly decide to replant my garden with Kai while Xiumin worked with me is amazing progress.”

“He used to always wrap himself on top of Xiumin’s body so no one else could sit by him. And we tried to get closer, he’d nudge us away.” Lay said. “It was like a parasite was growing off of his body.”

“Parasite?! Oh, now you guys are definitely exaggerating.” Luhan exclaimed, clearly upset with how the others were making him out to be. The others laughed and patted the boy on his head and antlers.

“But now he’s totally different. He’ll let the rest of us cuddle up to Xiumin and feed him and everything.” Lay concluded, smiling at Luhan. The deer didn’t return the smile, for his face was still stuck in pout mode.

“You all are mean.” The pink haired herbivore muttered. He slumped his body on top of the table in sadness.

“Oh c’mon Lulu. You know we’re complimenting you.” Chen said, forcefully patting the deer on the back.

“Just think about your special present for Seok hyung and you’ll feel better.” Baekhyun added with a smirk. Luhan’s eyes widened for a second before he quickly sat up again.

“Oh yeah. Alright, alright, let’s move on. Who’s next?” Luhan asked quickly. The humans were confused by his immediate eagerness, but decided to let it go. Whatever this special gift was, it must be something really good.

“D.O. hyung!” Kai barked, wrapping his arms around his owner in a hug.

“Huh? Why me?” the short man questioned, semi uncomfortable by the tightness of the toy poodle’s hug.

“Because Kris has 4 hybrids and he’ll take forever. I want you to go now, hyung. Please.” Kai whined, puppy dog eyes and all.

“Hey, I wouldn’t take that long.” Kris whined. Well actually, it sounded more like he was straining his voice. Kris’s aygeo still wasn’t very good, though the others would admit that it had gotten better through the years. Regardless, the man was ignored in favor of the cuddling duo.

“Okay Jongie, I’ll give my speech now.” D.O. said, taking his stand. Kai clapped happily. Silly little puppy, D.O. thought.

“Hm, actually I’m not sure what to say here.” D.O. said, chuckling nervously.

“What do you mean?” Chanyeol asked.

“It’s just…I dunno, I just feel like Kai hasn’t changed much since I bought him from the pet store.” D.O. shrugged shyly. “Sorry, I guess I never really thought this out.”

“He has changed. He went from black hair to blond.” Tao chuckled. Baekhyun slapped Tao softly on the cheek.

“You little…”

“It doesn’t have to be about him changing. Just say whatever you want.” Kris suggested. D.O. nodded, but remained silent for a second. He still wasn’t all too sure what to say, especially since his experience with Kai wasn’t all too similar to his friends’ lives with their hybrids.

“Hm, well I guess, I have to say that, Kai is a really special guy. He’s pretty calm and quiet for a puppy. And I honestly really like that about him since I’m kind of the same way. And even though he can have his moments where he might…do something he shouldn’t…he learns quickly and I rarely have issues with him. He’s a great dog and my best friend.”

“Awwwwwwwww.” The chorus cooed once again.

“How sweet.” Chanyeol squealed, pinching Kai’s cheeks.

“Thanks, hyung.” Kai barked happily.

“Heh, thanks. Sorry if my speech wasn’t as good as everyone else’s’ though. Kai and I never really had anything major we needed to overcome.”

“Actually you did.” Suho said, taking a sip of his wine. “In fact, I feel like you deserve a speech too.”

“A speech for me? For what?”

“You had a few struggles back when you were dealing with your money issues.” Suho explained. And suddenly all of the memories returned to D.O.’s mind. He wasn’t even sure how he could have possibly forgotten them in the first place.

“Yeah, you couldn’t take care of me after you brought me home.” Tao said quietly, knowing how the situation affected the man in the beginning. “But even though you couldn’t keep me, I’m glad you bought me from that man that day and sent me to live with Kris. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me. Thank you, D.O.” Tao mewed, a blush covering his face.

“You didn’t want to ask any of us for money or any kind of help, even when you were on the verge of freezing to death.” Kris added. “But even in spite of all of the issues, you kept working your hardest, and most importantly, you focused on keeping Kai well taken care of.”

“Of course. I didn’t care about what happened to me.” D.O. stared into his lap as he spoke, somewhat emabarassed thinking about those days of the past. “Kai…all I cared about was keeping Kai healthy.” Kai licked his owner’s cheek at his heartwarming words. He had the best owner ever.

“And now you have no issues asking for help for even the most minor of things, like say, having to replant a garden of flowers.” Xiumin said with a chuckle.

“Hey, flowers are very important!” Luhan said, sending his owner and knowing glare. Xiumin smiled and rolled his eyes.

“The point is, it’s pretty clear that between you and Kai, you’re the one who’s had the most growth here, Kyungsoo.” Kris said.

“Really?” D.O. asked, quite shocked at what he was hearing. He hadn’t thought he’d changed much at all honestly.

“Instead of it being you who’s helped Kai change, it’s more like Kai has helped you change.” Baekhyun suggested.

“Yeah, if it wasn’t for Kai, you might never have had a reason to ask for help. And could still be the same stubborn guy you used to be.” Sehun said.

“Weird way to put it, Sehun, but I agree.” Suho added, scratching the kitten’s ears. “Whether you expected it or not, Kai did end up helping you for the better.”

“Wow, I never thought of it like that.” D.O. said with a rare, large smile. “Thanks Kai.” The man patted his puppy on the head, and received a large flurry of puppy kisses in response. The beagles barked happily at the overjoyed puppy.

“Aw, isn’t that sweet?” Suho cooed. 

"It's kinda gross." Sehun said with a sneer.

“Well, we saved the best for last.” Kris said, stretching his arms over his head. The man always acted like everything he did took a huge amount of effort.

“Oh, just go already.” Luhan said.

“Yeah, so we can get to your special gift.” Baekhyun said, eyes waggling.

“Uh, right.” Kris was still curious as to what this gift could be. It must be something special if all of the hybrids pre-planned it together. The only way to figure it out would be to get his turn done with.

“Well, I have a lot of things to say.” Kris began.

“Of course you do. You have the most pets.” Sehun mewed. Lay shushed the kitten.

“I’ll start with Tao and work my way backwards.” Kris said.

“So he can save Chanyeol for last.” Sehun whispered to the bunny next to him. Lay chuckled quietly.

“Oooooh, I bet I know why.” Kai barked happily.

“Kai, shhhhh.” D.O. said. Kris was confused by all of the whispering, but blocked it out to continue with his speech.

“When Taozi came to me, he was a shy little guy who really didn’t know Korean all that well. He struggled a lot and tended to rely on Mandarin. And wasn’t comfortable with the dogs at all. He even had to stay in my room with me for a while when he first moved it.” Everyone, including Tao, nodded well aware of the boy’s humble beginnings with Kris.

“But now, he’s almost unrecognizable. His Korean is getting much better and he’s nearly fluent. And he and he’s perfectly comfortable with the beagles. He’s like an entirely new cat and I couldn’t be any more proud of him.” 

“Xiè Xiè.” Tao whispered quietly, sincerely. Kris nodded, but the others didn’t seem to notice the small, mischievous glint in his eyes.

“And, if you don’t believe me, I’ve got pics of them sleeping all on top of each other on all of my electronic devices.” Kris finished off with a laugh.

“Hey!” Tao whined, now pouting. “I’ve got pictures of you snuggling on top of other people, too.” 

“Oooooh, I bet it’s with Chany-!” Kai’s mouth was once again grabbed by Chen.

“Will you be quiet?!” The older dog scolded.

“Anyway, let’s move on.” Kris said. He readjusted his hat even though it hadn’t be moved in the first place.

“It’s Chen Chen’s turn.” Baekhyun giggled, wiggling in his chair.

“I know that Chen doesn’t like us to talk about his past much, but there are some things that need to be said to talk about how much he’s grown.”

“It’s fine hyung.” Chen said. Kris looked at the pup. He was smiling and his body was relaxed. He seemed truly okay with the situation. Kris smiled and nodded.

“Thank you Chen. There’s some of his growth right there.” Kris’s gummy smile was slowly making its entrance. “So, Chen, or rather Jongdae, came to us as a stray. He’d been living in front of a supermarket where he faced…ahem, very unpleasant treatment from other people.” 

Everyone could feel the atmosphere in the room change. It was silent, with all eyes on Kris, but some glancing back at Chen every once in a while.

“Chanyeol and Baekhyun came across him one day and asked if he could stay with us until he found his own place. Well, naturally, I figured he wouldn’t be going anywhere.” A few knowing chuckles from the humans were heard. “But I was happy to see them so happy with their new friend, so I didn’t mind. And we gave him the nickname Chen because of some orange pants he was wearing that day. 

“Hey, he’s wearing some orange ones now!” Luhan exclaimed, noticing Chen’s attire.

“Woah, did you do that on purpose?~” Lay asked.

“Yep!” Chen chirped, proudly.

“Heh, looking back on it, it was kind of a really silly reason.” Kris chuckled.

“I think Chen really suits him.” Xiumin smiled.

“Yeah, honestly, sometimes I forget that it’s not your real name, Dae.” Luhan added.

“Honestly, so do I.” Chen laughed. And soon the entire room was filled with laughs and questions demanding how that was even possible.

Kris smiled as he continued. “Anyway, we soon realized that Chen wasn’t just any ordinary beagle. He had really curly poodle hair, plus those distinctive feline features. Plus his behavior was much different than Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s. He was kind of stubborn and lazy, unlike the ever helpful beagles.” Kris looked at Chen one last time to make sure that he was okay with him continuing. The small nod he received was the sign that it was fine.

“Adding that together, it was clear that Chen was a very unique guy. A half beagle, half mini-poodle, half cat hybrid.”

“Wouldn’t that be thirds instead of halves?” Sehun muttered under his breath. His comment seemed to go unnoticed to all, but Suho who covered his mouth to hide his chuckles.

“Chen, understandably wasn’t too fond of humans. He was fearful around anyone that wasn’t one of us in here. And he relied on us a lot whenever he was rudely confronted. But in time, he got over his fears of humans and now is quick to stand up for himself and his friends.”

“I remember that day when you and Baekhyun were harassed at the park and came to Seok and I for comfort. And then you even left afterwards.” Luhan said.

“But then we heard that you went back for Baekhyun, because you wanted to be brave for him.” Xiumin added. "We knew then that you were starting to do better with your fears. That took courage."

“And then a few weeks ago you protected me while we were at the vet’s office when that mean receptionist was making fun of me. Thank you for that Chen hyung.” Tao said, nuzzling against Chen’s face.

“Good job.” Baekhyun whispered, patting Chen’s back.

“I’m proud that Chen is braver now too, but I think the thing I like the most about Chen now is how he isn’t afraid to act like a cat anymore.” Chanyeol said sincerely. “He would never meow or play like a cat in front of us for the longest time. But now he does it much more.” Chanyeol’s comment didn’t surprise Kris. The tallest beagle was always the one most concerned about Chen embracing his feline half. Chen smiled at the others.

“Well, Taozi deserves a kitty friend at the house.” Chen said, rubbing back against Tao. “And I’m happy to be that cat, just for him.” Chanyeol smiled gleefully to himself. Part of it was due to the super cute moment in front of him, but another was due to the fact that that was the first time he’d heard Chen refer to himself as a cat with words. He didn’t want to make a big deal of it now, but he’d certainly praise him once they returned home.

“Heh, well all in all, Chen has seriously grown from when he first came home, and we’re all super proud of him.” Kris said in closure. 

“Nice hyung.” Suho nodded. Everyone took a moment of silence to let the mood return to normal. Surprisingly, it was Chen who spoke first.

“Well, c’mon. It’s Baek’s turn to get roasted!” The pup barked.

“Wooooooooooooooooooo! Yeah, let’s keep going!” Chanyeol howled in agreement.

“Wae?” Squealed the dog in question.

“Of course, of course.” Kris said. “Well, like Kai, Baekkie hasn’t changed much since I bought him, so there’s not much to say about differences.”

“Lame. Next.” Sehun remarked, half hiss, half chuckle. Lay lightly nipped his fluttering tail, causing the kitten to let out a small yip.

“But, if there’s anything I can say about Baekhyun, he’s the perfect big brother.”

“I thought that was me…~” Lay whined, cutely. Quiet giggles and cooes were heard around the room.

“Baekhyun takes care of all of the kids as if they were his own. He comforts Taozi in rainstorms, he protects Chen from rude people, he’s the only one who can comfort Chanyeol when he’s upset, heck he even helps me out when I need something.” Kris smiled at Baekhyun as he spoke. He hadn’t thought about it much until he had sat down to think of what he was going to say about Baekhyun at the party, but the eldest dog, truly was an amazing hyung to his dongseangs.

“He may not look like the most sensitive guy, and honestly, he really isn’t.”

“Hey…” Baekhyun whined. Kris had to hold in a laugh as he looked at the pup. He was totally slouched on Chanyeol’s left shoulder and he could see the older dog lightly scratching the younger on his neck, right under his collar. 

“I mean, he really just wants the best for everyone, and sometimes he’ll be a bit pushy in those aspects. But above all, he’s really just a total sweetheart.” Kris finished his speech and smiled at his oldest hybrid. Chanyeol leaned over and licked Baekhyun’s cheek a few times.

“It’s funny because Baekhyun likes to act all tough, but he’s really just a big softie.” Suho chuckled.

“Yeah, he’s always taking care of the others.” Xiumin agreed, rubbing his deer’s antlers. “No matter what they ask for, he’ll do it for them with no questions asked.”

“Especially if it’s Taozi.” Kai laughed. “Baekkie spoils him more than anyone else.” Baekhyun wanted to reply with a witty come back, but honestly he was at a loss for what he could say. It was true, he did spoil Tao. Plus, Tao’s tail being gently wrapped around his waist, lightly brushing against his tummy was making it hard for him to make any sort of joke about him. So the beagle just wrapped his arm around the kitty and let the moment be.

“Eh, whatever.” He said quietly.

“Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.” The loud cooing once again sounded though the room.

“And last but not least…” Kris said, walking over to stand next to very first hybrid. “My special Yeollie.” He leaned down and planted a kiss on the pup’s head. And of course, Chanyeol started blushing madly. So much so that he buried his reddening face in Baekhyun’s hair.

“How cute!” Suho squealed.

“Oh boy, this is gonna be good.” Sehun said. The rainbow haired kitten began mischievously rubbing his hands together.

“Chanyeol is a special guy. He’s the first hybrid I ever owned. From the very beginning, he wanted to do everything for me. Cook, clean, bathe, you name it. And he couldn’t stand to be away from me when I was at home. Chanyeol was so clingy that I needed to get 3 extra hybrids for him to play with while I went to work.” The tall man laughed, gummy smile in full force.

“Hee hee, we’re just playthings for Chanyeol.” Chen whispered to Baekhyun, chuckling lightly. Baekhyun playfully nudged the other, each enjoying the humor of their owner’s joke.

“I’ll admit, we had some problems. Chanyeol has always wanted everything to be perfect for me, so much so that he was willing to suffer if he thought I’d be happy as a result of it.” Kris spoke in a more serious tone, though a small smile could still be seen on his face.

“He struggled with me giving more attention to Tao when he first moved in, even though he didn’t show it. He growled at him once and even messed up my bed because he was upset at not being able to sleep there in so long.” Kris continued, glancing at Chanyeol every once in a while. He knew it was hard for the pup to remember those traumatic events. He could see Chanyeol quietly nod, signaling to him that he was okay.

“But we talked and I reminded Chanyeol that I was the one who was supposed to take care of him, not the other way around. And Chanyeol agreed to let go and not worry too much about making sure I was happy. And from then on, everything was perfect.” Kris said, fully gummy smile returning. He could hear Chanyeol giggling as well.

“Chanyeol is an amazing pet. Everyone is his friend. Even people he’s just met. He takes care of every human and hybrid he interacts with. And he’s the most affectionate pup I’ve ever met.”

“I’ll admit, I was afraid of Chanyeol at first.” D.O. said shyly. “Really big dogs always made me nervous, but Chanyeol was super gentle and really sweet. It makes me laugh thinking I used to be scared of him.” The short red head laughed.

“Yeollie really is the sweetest dog. He just loves everyone. His love of cats is also amazing and the passion he had on studying how to interact with cats, and then sharing that information with others, was really helpful in getting Sehun and Tao to become so dog friendly.” Suho said, gently scratching Sehun’s ear.

“Mrrroooww.” Came a quiet mew of agreement from Sehun.

“If it weren’t for Chanyeol, I probably still wouldn’t be okay acknowledging that I’m…part cat.” Chen said, smiling at being able to say it in one go. Chanyeol beamed once again, even more proud of the catdog. “He was the first one to not make me feel ashamed or embarrassed about having cat DNA. He and Baekhyun still treated me like any normal dog and never pressured me to talk about it when it was uncomforatble fo me.”

“I’m sure we could all go on forever about how amazing Chanyeol is, and honestly he deserves it. Chanyeol is probably the greatest pet and person that I’ve even known and I couldn’t imagine my life without him.” Kris leaned over so he was face to face with his silver haired pup. “I love you, Canliè.” And Kris pressed his lips to Chanyeol’s.

“Aish, get a room you too.” Sehun chuckled.

“Nah, let them keep at it.” Xiumin laughed.

“As long as they don’t go too far.” D.O. added. Loud laughs echoed around the room as the two kept their kiss going for a few more seconds before breaking apart.

“Actually this is fine, because it’s a nice segue into your own gift.” Chanyeol said. Kris didn’t notice the smirk on the dog’s face.

“Huh?” And before Kris could get another word out, he found himself on the floor with Chanyeol hovering on top of him. He could hear a low growl rumble in his throat.

“Wae?!” 

“What the?!!”

“Is this really happening?” Xiumin exclaimed. 

“Uh….Ch- Chanyeol.” Kris sputtered, unable to register what was truly going on.

“Yes hyung?” Chanyeol asked, sitting down on his owner’s crotch. Kris struggled to hold back a moan.

“What…what are you doing?”

“Giving you your present.” He said with an innocent smile. “Guys…” Next thing everyone knew, they were pinned to the ground by their own hybrids in a similar predicament to Kris. Lay and Sehun each grabbed an arm and held Suho down. Luhan wrapped himself around Xiumin’s body before knocking him to the floor. Kai pounced on D.O. and began attacking him with a flurry of kisses. And Baekhyun, Chen, and Tao circled around Kris and Chanyeol.

“Wait wait wait…this is the present you’ve all been talking about?” Xiumin asked, just as confused as everyone else.

“This is what you all planned?” D.O. gasped, struggling not to start making out with the toy poodle licking his face.

“Yep~” Lay answered. He leaned down to rub his head against Suho. Sehun was already using his tail to rub up against Suho’s tummy.

“But guys, we can’t…I mean…not like this…” Suho said. He could barely make out any words what with the way his hybrids were teasing him.

“Why not?” Tao asked. He leaned over and licked Kris’s left ear while Chen did the same to the right. 

“Because…argh…because…this is supposed to be private…” Kris answered.

“We’re all friends here. This is supposed to be our anniversary anyway.” Baekhyun smiled, pressing a kiss on Kris’s lips.

“And what better way to celebrate it?” Chanyeol tilted his head cutely as he asked his owner.

“I just, I…” Kris couldn’t believe that his and everyone else’s hybrids had not only planned to basically mate following their party, but that they had no problem being in the same room together.

“Please hyung…” Chanyeol whined, cute puppy ears raised into the air. Kris remained quiet for a moment, honestly it was still hard to think with the way all of his hybrids were surrounding him and making him want to do certain things to them.

“It’s your house Xiumin.” Kris said eventually. “What do you think?” Soon all of the humans’ attention was on the small man who had Luhan wrapped around him like a blanket.

“Well…I mean it’s kind of hard to say no to this.” Xiumin replied, referring to the deer who was rubbing his body all over his owner, his scent completely marking the shorter male.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” The deer said, latching his lips onto his owner’s.

“Hey, what ever happened to privacy, hyung?” Kai laughed. He turned back to his owner to see him smirking, already in the motion of pulling off his shirt. Kai’s tail wagged as he prepared for what he knew was about to come.

Suho rotated between kissing Lay and Sehun. Each needily took to rubbing their bodies onto him and nibbling different parts of his face when they weren’t being kissed.

“This is weird…but this is nice.” Suho moaned in-between a kiss from Lay.

“Hurry, up. It’s my turn.” Sehun hissed.

“Start getting undressed and we’ll switch up.” Lay said in a voice that was much rougher than his typical one.

Somehow Kris found himself completely naked on the floor. It happened so fast that he wasn’t even sure how.

“Alright, I’ll take Taozi and Chen Chen for now.” Baekhyun said. “You can have Kris all to yourself, Yeollie.” Baekhyun turned around to see the kitty hybrids already fondeling each other. Tao's long plumed tail was inside Chen's pants, the older boy wiggling around sporadically.

"Ugh, hurry up hyung. This kid is such a tease." Chen moaned. Baekhyun chuckled before lowering his head to Tao's waist.

Chanyeol, also nude minus his torn open shirt, smiled as he was left face to face with his precious Kris.

“Are you ready, hyung.” Chanyeol asked, tail wagging happily.

“More than ever.” He replied, huge gummy smile on his face.

“I love you Yifan hyung, happy anniversary.” Chanyeol said, readying himself.

“I love you too, Canlie. Happy anniversary.” Kris replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there you go. I figured that you all deserved something for sticking through with this fic for so long. And since I can't write actual smut to save my life, I figured I'd just set up the scene so you guys can fill I the rest for yourselves. Hopefully you enjoyed it :3
> 
> I’d like to thank everyone who always supported me for this long. Without you guys this series might not have lasted as long as it did. Thanks for joining me on this wonderful journey with Three Beagles and a Kitty and as always, thanks for reading :)


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